Tyger, Tyger
by SomeoneI'mSure
Summary: Tigerpaw wants to be the greatest warrior in all the forest, and she'll do anything to make it happen. Fortunately, her new mentor understands her and is willing to help her achieve her dream. Unfortunately, everyone else doesn't think her mentor is the best pick. [female Tigerclaw AU. Thistleclaw/Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw/Redtail]
1. Apprentice 1

Tigerpaw stood proudly before the Highrock, studying her mentor thoughtfully.

He was powerful and massive and gorgeous. His fur was thick and long, gathering around his regal lion-like face like a flowering mane. He was striped black over gray, with white on his noble chin that spread out down his front and under his broad chest. He had scars crisscrossing his whole body, some so old that they had long grown back over with stripes of white fur. He was the bravest and strongest cat in ThunderClan, the model of what a warrior should be, and he was her mentor.

For the first time in her life, Tigerpaw knew everything was going to go her way.

"So, you get my dad," mewed Whitepaw quietly.

"You get my uncle," mewed Tigerpaw, tearing her gaze away from her new mentor. Her Uncle was a black and white tom from her mother's side of the family, and looked absolutely nothing like Tigerpaw. He was lithe and scrawny, while Tigerpaw was big boned and destined to grow bigger.

But Whitepaw had the same lithe build.

"Not a bad match up," murmured Whitepaw.

Tigerpaw grunted in agreement. They were practically a perfect pair.

_Pinestar wouldn't have made the same choice,_ Tigerpaw decided scornfully. Her gaze wandered over to Sunstar, the leader after Pinestar.

The cats around her shifted and started to separate as the ceremony concluded. She padded confidently over to her mentor, her tail held high. "I'm ready to patrol the territory."

If Thistleclaw had been anyone else, Tigerpaw suspected she would have been told to just enjoy her new status for the first day. Instead, Thistleclaw seemed approving as he flicked an ear towards the bramble tunnel with a simple command. "Keep up."

As she padded out of the bramble tunnel entrance and under the canopy of leaves that made up the sparce forest roof, Tigerpaw felt excitement fill her from nose to paws. She could almost feel the whole forest welcoming her with open branches, cashing long stripes of shadows across the ground to help her hide among the tree roots. No longer would she be stuck in the nursery with an overbearing mother, no longer would the death of her siblings haunt her, no longer will whispers of her treacherous father plague her nights. She was a whole new cat.

Today, she was going to start becoming the warrior her Clan deserved.

"This is the RiverClan border," growled Thistleclaw.

Sounds of the gently bubbling water filled the air as waves with frothy white crests washed over the stepping stones. Rich dark green leaves leaned out over the blue river, turning the murky depths into an uncertain land filled with pitch black holes. Silvery scales darted just underneath the surface, their images flickering in the sunlight.

Thistleclaw sniffed the air cautiously. Tigerpaw lifted her own nose, but all she could smell was fish and water.

"RiverClan grows fat on the river," Thistleclaw continued, gazing across the river as if could see warriors hiding in the shadows of bushes on the other side. "They will often crouch beside the water and hook out their catch on land before they give the killing bite."

Tigerpaw looked at her mentor curiously. Those dark amber eyes were watching her with some emotion Tigerpaw couldn't place.

"Their paws are swift and their bite is powerful. In a fight, they will have weight on their side but they are not great runners and even worse at pinning down a smaller and more agile opponent." His eyes narrowed. "However, they are too slippery to pin down without claws and fangs."

Tigerpaw could feel the challenge in his voice. She hadn't been expecting battle lessons on her first day, but she accepted the challenge and lifted her head. "So, to beat them, we have to be quick and light on our paws and use only our fangs and teeth."

The big warrior nodded, pleased. "You'll make an excellent warrior as long as those instincts are properly encouraged and nurtured."

The she-cat warmed at the praise, her tail high. _We really are a perfect match._

Thistleclaw turned away, flicking his ear. "We have a lot more ground to cover."

When Tigerpaw padded back into camp, she was more bone weary than she had ever felt before, but she didn't let it bother her. She was strong, and this was only a sign of how much stronger she could be.

"You're back!" Whitepaw lashed his tail. "I can't believe you went out on your first day! How was it?"

"Enlightening," mewed Tigerpaw, lifting her head proudly. As she suspected, the other apprentice had been stuck in camp all day. "I learned so much about RiverClan and ShadowClan! Did you know ShadowClan have to ambush their enemies because they're too small to win in a straight fight?"

"You learned _that_ on your first day?"

The harsh growl startled Tigerpaw, and she looked at the irritated blue-gray warrior in surprise. "Bluefur?"

Bluefur narrowed her eyes and lashed her tail. "It's good that Whitepaw wasn't apprenticed to that bloodthirsty furbrain."

Tigerpaw watched in shock as she stormed off. She had never considered the possibility that some cats wouldn't like Thistleclaw, and afterwards she growled lowly. "What's the matter with her?" Tigerpaw lashed her tail, realizing that her voice was a little too high with hurt for her liking and tried to stifle it. "Thistleclaw is an excellent warrior."

Whitepaw shuffled his paws awkwardly, ears flat. "She never liked Thistleclaw."

Tigerpaw lashed her tail in frustration. "Whatever. She's not my mother, and she isn't my mentor. I'll be in my new den."

"I'll come with you." The white tom perked up instantly. "I have this great spot beside Brindlepaw."

Tigerpaw rolled her eyes, and muttered. "Is there a spot far away from you?" Her whiskers twitched with humor.

"Yep!" said Whitepaw, tail waving and whiskers bushed in a grin. "I wouldn't want to bore you with my charming romantic displays."

Tigerpaw chuffed a laugh at Whitepaw's retreating tail and his slow swagger, but movement out of the corner of her eye drew her gaze to the leader's den where a blue-gray tail was just disappearing inside. Tigerpaw's pelt prickled nervously but she tried to dismiss it.

In the apprentice's den, most of the other apprentices had chosen nests closer to the back of the den, where the woven branches were held tight together. Tigerpaw settled down in a worn-out and unused nest close to the entrance. A cold night wind blew into the den but she ignored the icy paws running through her fur.

She awoke the second she smelled Thistleclaw's scent.

The massive tom blocked out the dark sky and pale dawn light. He growled, voice rumbling pleasantly with fierce power. "We're on the dawn patrol."

He looked unhappy, but Tigerpaw did not ask why. She was already heading towards the camp entrance, not even bothering to clean herself and straighten out her fur. Frustration stabbed her when she realized no one else was even present.

"Bluefur is coming with us." Thistleclaw sounded about as unhappy with that idea as Tigerpaw felt. The massive tom sat down heavily and wrapped his tail around himself.

Tigerpaw couldn't stop thinking of the tail that had disappeared into the leader's den. She tried not to glance around or at the leader's den out of fear of being caught unprepared for her patrol. Eventually, her eyes settled on her mentor.

Thistleclaw's whiskers twitched with annoyance. "Groom yourself. It will help you relax."

Tigerpaw tried not to flinch and forced a polite nod. She couldn't imagine relaxing with yesterday weighing down on her mind, but she couldn't imagine being able to catch a mouse when was worried about other things. She wanted to be ready to hunt down the first mouse she smelled along the way. After a few seconds hesitation and realizing that Bluefur really was going to take her time, Tigerpaw started to untangle her fur. The rhythmic licks did help to calm her nerves, but she was instantly irritated when she saw Bluefur approaching. Thankfully, she'd come out of the warrior's den and was alone.

"Let's go," growled Thistleclaw.

He stormed right out the entrance, tail lashing with barely contained fury. Tigerpaw didn't bother to wait on Bluefur and instead followed right on Thistleclaw's heels, keeping to her own hard pace with her tail held high. It was disrespectful but Tigerpaw thought the blue-gray warrior deserved it for being rude.

"Tigerpaw," mewed Thistleclaw the moment they were over the ravine wall and padding towards RiverClan territory. "Go on ahead and start marking the border."

Bluefur spoke up sharply. "Are you sure an apprentice should be left alone, especially one so untrained?"

Thistleclaw came to an abrupt halt. "Tigerpaw can handle herself better than _you_."

Tigerpaw twitched her nose, unsure if that was true yet. But she liked Bluefur being put in her place and said nothing in response. She could hear the hissing and bubbling of the river and padded steadily in that direction, her tail flicking confidently. She could almost smell her Clanmate's scents on the trail, faded but still well-worn, guiding her towards the border. Let Thistleclaw handle that furbrain while she did real warrior duties.

The river was lower than Tigerpaw remembered. She sniffed the air and tensed at the fresher smell of fish. A few dead silver scaled creatures were half sunk in the mud bank, stinking up the place. She padded over slowly, grimacing at the scent.

"Tigerpaw! Don't eat that!"

Tigerpaw turned to glare at Bluefur in frustration. "I _wasn't_ going to."

The blue-gray warrior flicked her tail, looking disturbed by Tigerpaw's tone.

"We should throw those back into the river." Thistleclaw dipped his head to sniff the decayed flesh. His eyes were dark and his lips curled in twisted glee.

"We should bury them," Bluefur rebuffed. "Tigerpaw, take them out of the mud and up to Sunningrocks."

"If you want to bury them, _you_ can," growled Thistleclaw, whiskers twitching furiously as he fought a snarl. "Don't order my apprentice around. Tigerpaw, let's continue the patrol."

Bluefur bristled at the tone and looked ready to argue but instead merely watched as Thistleclaw stormed off. Tigerpaw ignored Bluefur and marched after the big tom, feeling proud at how quickly Thistleclaw put Bluefur in her place.

Thistleclaw stopped after they were out of sight. His ears cocked back towards where Bluefur was, and Tigerpaw wondered if he expected the blue-gray she-cat to follow them. She didn't. Tigerpaw felt annoyance. Didn't Bluefur burying dead fish wasn't going to help ThunderClan get stronger?

"Bluefur is very soft on cats outside of the Clan," mewed Thistleclaw quietly. "She is very sympathetic to them."

Tigerpaw's lip twisted into a sneer. "I noticed," she grumbled.

"She's been this way since before my mate's death." Thistleclaw's mew grew heavy with grief. "Snowfur was a great warrior. She would have survived if Bluefur hadn't led her outside of the camp."

Tigerpaw blinked. "You think Bluefur killed Snowfur?"

Thistleclaw fell silent for a long moment. When he spoke, his mew was dark with turmoil and he lifted his head and set his jaw. "Let's finish the patrol."

All the way back to camp, the apprentice wondered about what her mentor had said. Bluefur never rejoined them, possibly too preoccupied with burying the dead fish. Tigerpaw was glad of it. The idea that Bluefur might kill a Clanmate unnerved her and made her want to bare her fangs and dig her claws into the ground.

When she padded into camp, Whitepaw greeted her. "How did it go?"

"Boringly," mewed Tigerpaw.

"Uh, where's Bluefur?"

Tigerpaw didn't want to answer and padded straight into the apprentice's den. Frostpaw's voice carried from the back of the den as she loudly talked about all the kits she'd have when she became a queen. Tigerpaw felt a flash of fury and wished she could claw the clouds out of the she-cat's head.

_Become a warrior first_, she inwardly scolded.

Brindlepaw looked at Tigerpaw in a desperate bid for help, but Tigerpaw decided to leave the friendly she-cat to the punishment of staying friends with furbrains like her sister, Frostpaw. Tigerpaw settled in her nest and looked out at the camp.

Whitepaw padded in anxiously. "What's keeping her? She should have been back by now."

"If you care so much," mumbled Tigerpaw, "you should just go out and find her yourself."

"I haven't even seen the territory yet!" Whitepaw lashed his tail. "I wouldn't know how to get back."

"Follow your own scent back." Wanting the conversation to be over, Tigerpaw curled up tight.

_Bluefur doesn't understand,_ Tigerpaw thought, closing her eyes.

The crash of thunder overhead and the squeal of a frightened cat made Tigerpaw jump awake. She scanned the den, her eyes landing on Brindlepaw.

"Sorry!" the white-and-gray tabby whispered loudly, embarrassed. She flopped back down on another nest further back in the den and pretended to sleep.

Annoyed, Tigerpaw rose to her paws, realizing she hadn't eaten in a while. She looked out at the camp, bushed up her fur, and padded out into the rain. Her pelt was instantly soaked, and a shiver ran down her spine at how cold she felt. She reached the freshkill pile and stared hard at the prey, trying to figure out which actually looked appetizing.

"Wait too long and the prey will come alive and bite you."

Tigerpaw blinked up at the yellow tabby tom known as Lionheart, the youngest warrior in ThunderClan. He had a mane similar to Thistleclaw's; long and thick, but now it dripped with water running down his legs. The tom's lips curled in amusement at his own joke.

Tigerpaw felt instantly tired and annoyed. "Why don't you go bother someone else?"

Lionheart tilted his head. "You're the one standing out in the rain. Maybe you should bother someone? Might save you from getting greycough."

"No such thing," mumbled Tigerpaw but she wasn't sure. It just sounded like something the mousebrained warrior would think up as a joke. "Besides, you should be out of the rain, too."

The yellow tabby sighed softly, less dramatic than Tigerpaw expected. "I'm a warrior. We don't stop doing our duty just because of a little rain. You're an apprentice, so if I were you I'd save the warrior stuff for when you grow out of your kit fur." He gazed down thoughtfully at the prey pile. "Are you going to grab something?"

Tigerpaw grumbled to herself and snatched up a robin. Lionheart rumbled in amusement and snatched a squirrel. Tigerpaw waited until Lionheart had picked a direction and padded away from him. She settled on a spot outside of the apprentice den that was mostly sheltered by a low-hanging, leafy branch. She managed a few mouthfuls before an entire puddle's worth of cold water splashed all over her flank. Hissing, she grabbed her prey and hurried inside, glaring daggers at the rain.

"Don't get any of that on my nest!" Frostpaw mewed sharply, bristling. "If you're so hungry, you should have eaten earlier!"

Tigerpaw bristled. The white she-cat was at the back of the den, right next to Whitepaw and Brindlepaw. "I'm nowhere near your nest, furball."

Frostpaw huffed and curled up tighter, ears twitching.

Brindlepaw blinked apologetically at Tigerpaw. "She's just upset because she forgot to get new bedding before the rain started."

Tigerpaw twitched her whiskers in smug amusement. _Serves her right, the useless furbrain._

The storm passed before nightfall. A few warriors returned from hunting with a few wet scraps. They spent the rest of the day pulling apart the freshkill pile and burying what had already started to decay with mildew and chewing on what few freshkill was still fresh despite being soaked.

Because of how wet the territory was, their leader announced that apprentices would stay in camp until it had dried up enough. Tigerpaw heard some of the older warriors whispering about how cold it was and worrying about ice on the territory. She dug her claws into the ground, irritated that her training would stop because of a little weather.

Eventually, Thistleclaw padded into camp, his fur bristling furiously. "Kittypets have been scented near the border!" He dropped a thrush on the freshkill pile and stormed towards the leader's den.

Moments later, a tall broad-shouldered tom padded out, his golden fur glowing like the last rays of the sun. He gazed around at the already gathered Clanmates and settled down at the base of Highrock to address the Clan. "Thistleclaw has informed me that the twolegplace border has been trampled over by kittypets. Our scent markers are almost all gone because of them and the rain. Our border should not be so neglected. Bluefur, at dawn you will lead a battle patrol to freshen the border markers. If you scent kittypets on the border, make sure they are gone before coming back."

Tigerpaw felt a bit displeased at this news, and gave the blue-gray warrior a frustrated look. _It's not fair. Thistleclaw scented the kittypets on the border. He should be the one to make sure they respect it._

If she was honest with herself, she wanted to visit the border. A part of her hoped to see her father's brown tabby pelt, and her claws dug hungrily in to the ground. If there was one thing she had learned, all kittypets were disloyal traitors. They cared nothing beyond their own kittypet homes. Her father was no exception. She wanted to repay him for making her an embarrassment to the Clan.

Thistleclaw approached her. "We're going to the Sandy Hollow." He padded out of the den, tail flicking behind him.

Excitement pulsed through her pelt and she couldn't help but smile. It didn't matter that she had barely rested; all that mattered was that she learn to fight for her Clan. When they reached the sandy slopes of the long-since drained pond, Tigerpaw hesitated beside her mentor. "When am I going to learn to hunt?"

"Hunting and fighting have many of the same skills," Thistleclaw reassured her. "For now, we'll focus on your strengths."

Tigerpaw padded eagerly into the center of the hollow, her tail lashing.

"Your stance is the most important part of fighting. A strong stance prevents the enemy from knocking you off your paws and gives you a good position to throw them off their paws."

Thistleclaw shoved her shoulder, and she tumbled to the ground. She growled and stood up again, but Thistleclaw easily knocked her back down.

"Balance is the key. Spread your legs. Focus on putting the center of gravity in your back. Be prepared to shift your weight into your hips or shoulders at a moment's notice to counter a blow."

Thistleclaw studied her thoughtfully, and shoved her shoulder again. She shifted her weigh and remained on her paws. Thistleclaw nodded, and Tigerpaw felt a surge of satisfaction.

"Rear on your hind legs and claw swipe, like so." The massive tabby reared, revealing his white underbelly and the thin fur around his pink stomach. He landed neatly. "Now, you try."

She performed the strike. Thistleclaw's expression was blank.

"Again."

Tigerpaw reared and slashed her claws, feeling her weight shift with the motion. She imagined putting power behind her blow and nearly overbalanced when her center of gravity refused to shift through the motions. Without waiting on her mentor's word, she performed the move again almost flawlessly.

Thistleclaw grunted approval. "I knew you were a natural. Continue practicing the move."

It was long after moonhigh when Thistleclaw called it done. Ignoring the aches in her muscles, Tigerpaw forced herself to keep pace with the tom. They paused at the top of the ravine, peering down into the silent and dark camp. A cat yowled a thin greeting and Thistleclaw returned it. An older patch-furred tom blinked at them from the entrance to the camp.

"Sparrowpelt," Thistleclaw greeted.

"I expected you back at night fall," mewed Sparrowpelt. He gave Tigerpaw a curious sniff. "You look hungry. There is still some dry prey left over."

The larger warrior nodded and padded through. Tigerpaw made to follow but paused when a tail touched her shoulder.

"Don't let him wear you out, 'paw," the older tom mewed. "You need your sleep."

"I can handle anything," Tigerpaw assured him gruffly, annoyed.

The dark gray-brown tabby tom simply flicked his ears.

When she found her nest, she was displeased to find it was soaked wet. Annoyed, she found a dry spot of dirt nearby and settled down to rest. It was uncomfortable, but she knew from kithood stories that WindClan slept on rocks or worse. If she wanted to be stronger than all of WindClan put together, she would have to tolerate it. Now was as good a time as any to start.

Sunlight beating against her eyelids woke her up, and she rose to find the camp mostly empty. Dawn patrol had already left, which meant that Bluefur was already marking the border and preparing to fight kittypets. Tigerpaw spotted Thistleclaw and Tawnyspots talking quietly near the highrock, and decided not to bother them. She went to the freshkill pile and quickly devoured a small mouse, licking her lips clean.

Tail lashing, Thistleclaw padded away and straight towards Tigerpaw. "It's time for you to learn to hunt."

Tigerpaw blinked in surprise. "I thought we would do more battle training today?"

The big tom shook his head. "You're good enough to learn both at once. Besides, there's no use in trying to pretend they are two different skill sets." His amber eyes gleamed. "The only difference is the size of the prey."

_That makes sense_. Tigerpaw nodded her understanding and raised her tail. "I'm ready for anything."

Thistleclaw nodded, pleased. "We're going to snakerocks."

Tigerpaw couldn't help the chill that spread through her but ruthlessly squashed it. If she wanted to be the greatest warrior ever, she needed to handle anything, even the most terrifying part of ThunderClan territory.

She followed behind Thistleclaw silently as they left the ravine and eventually reached a clearing that was devoid of any rocks. Tigerpaw thought she heard the hiss of snakes nearby but smelled nothing except the forest itself.

"It's good that you're using your nose." Thistleclaw looked around the clearing, his ears twitching. "However, snakes are heard and seen before they are smelled."

Tigerpaw shivered but steadied herself. "I'm ready."

Thistleclaw sat down heavily. "Show me a crouch."

The apprentice sank down on her paws. After a few adjustments with Thistleclaw pushing her into place, he grunted approval.

"Stalk."

She padded forward, careful to keep her weight shifting with each step and to keep her paws from crunching grass.

"Slower." Thistleclaw lashed his tail. "This isn't a race. The faster you are, the louder you are. Have patience."

Her muscles trembled with excitement and strain but she slowed, creeping across the clearing as stealthily as any shadow. Her muscles ached and her tail itched with barely contained energy, but she kept her composure.

Thistleclaw purred, pleased. "Now, concentrate on what you smell and see. Use your ears to locate sounds of prey but your nose and eyes to confirm it's there."

Tigerpaw scanned the clearing, belatedly remembering that she wouldn't be able to smell snakes. She stayed in her hunting crouch, slowly padding around, listening for the sounds of prey. Thistleclaw didn't move. It seemed forever before she heard something. Something rolled slowly through the grass, parting the tips like waves.

She stealthily approached, pausing to smell the air. The wind blew away from her, and the noises stopped. Cursing internally, she padded around so the wind was blowing into her. She smelled something warm and living in the grass, standing perfectly still in an effort to not make noise. When she opened her mouth, the air glided over her scent glands, telling her more about the mouse than she ever thought she could even know. It was male, fat, and nervous. He was listening intently, hoping she had moved on. She kept her paws as quiet as possible, not too fast but not too slow. Her tail quivered, threatening to brush against the twigs, and she forced it to stay still.

_How far away was the mouse?_ Her ears swiveled. She had to wait for it to move. She couldn't tell distance with scent alone. It shuffled between grass stalks. She leaped, her whiskers brushing against something that smelled familiar and living. Her paw slapped down, and she dove for the killing bite. The mouse twitched between her fangs before falling still.

"Excellent." Thistleclaw stood and padded towards her. "You are a natural."

Tigerpaw's pelt twitched in excitement. "Will I be a warrior in a moon?"

Thistleclaw looked startled and gave a _mrrow_ of laughter. Tigerpaw flattened her ears, feeling a tiny hot burn of embarrassment and a sudden spike of anger.

"We'll see," he mewed instead, amused.

Tigerpaw felt disappointed at this response but remembered Thistleclaw's words from earlier. _Have patience._ That's what it meant to be a warrior. She nodded solemnly.

They practiced until the sun was high, and then Tigerpaw followed him back to camp. She proudly put her prey on top, but refrained from sticking around to see who would take it. It was just prey; someone was going to take it eventually.

The very next day, Tigerpaw stayed in camp, listening to Thistleclaw and Bluefur argue over something or other on the other side of camp. Whitepaw was with him, but he ran around them to speak to Tigerpaw.

"How was your day?" Whitepaw practically bounced on his paws. "I just patrolled the whole forest with Patchpelt! He's been teaching me all the scents and sights! He even taught me a new hunting crouch. He's says I'm a natural."

Tigerpaw internally flinched at that. "We are all naturals," she growled. "We are all Clanborn, after all."

Whitepaw tilted his head and shrugged. "Sure." He spotted Brindlepaw sitting beside Frostpaw. "Excuse me, my mate awaits."

Wrinkling her nose at a strange musky smell, she stared as Whitepaw swaggered off. With a roll of her eyes, she quickly padded over to the freshkill pile.

Of course, Whitepaw and Brindlepaw weren't actually mates, but Whitepaw was completely convinced that he'd have her by his side when they became warriors. Tigerpaw thought he might have a better chance with Frostpaw. Tigerpaw's gaze drifted to Thistleclaw. Bluefur had finally stalked away, probably because her nephew had abandoned her, and the big tom sat next Tawnyspots, the deputy, muttering about patrols and kittypets.

Tigerpaw shook herself, fetched a small mouse, and padded back to her den. She had just finished licking off blood from her lips and settling into her nest when Frostpaw padded in.

The older apprentice looked annoyed with the world, and Tigerpaw guessed from Brindlepaw not being around that Whitepaw had successfully distracted the she-cat. Frostpaw's fur bushed out in annoyance. "When did _those two_ get together?"

Tigerpaw didn't bother answering. Frostpaw settled down in a nest near her, however, and Tigerpaw found herself glaring at the other she-cat as she started talking about boring queenly things like kits and mates. Tigerpaw quickly blocked her out and pretended to sleep. After a while, Frostpaw seemed to grow quiet, and pretty soon Tigerpaw had drifted off to sleep.

"Tigerpaw."

Tigerpaw was instantly awake.

Thistleclaw stood over her. "We're going on patrol."

Tigerpaw padded out and blinked at the sunlight. The entire world seemed too bright and it took too long for her eyes to adjust. "Where are we going?"

"Twolegplace," Thistleclaw growled.

Tigerpaw felt suddenly very awake. _She was on her paws and her claws sank into the ground. _

_It wasn't long before she was standing in front of the twolegplace garden walls. _She lifted her nose and sniffed the air cautiously, but she couldn't identify any of the scents. A part of her had thought her father would still smell like ThunderClan or that she would know her father's scent by heart, but now she wondered if there was anyway to find him. Maybe he wasn't alive anymore, or maybe he was with a mate and kit.

Tigerpaw stopped, ears forward. A tiny mew had reached her ears. She didn't move, her ears swiveling as her eyes hunted down the source; a tiny black kit. She heard Thistleclaw hiss behind her.

"An intruder," he mewed softly. "Now is your chance. Defend your territory."

Tigerpaw dug her claws into the ground and dropped into a hunter's crouch. When she was close enough to smell her, the black kit looked up and noticed her. She expected to see kit-blue eyes, half blind and stumbling about. Instead, she saw his pupils were dark and his gaze clear.

"Hi!" said the tiny kit. "Who are you?"

Her lips pulled back into a snarl. "You're on ThunderClan territory, kittypet filth!"

The black kit looked startled. "I'm not filth," he muttered. "And this isn't anyone's territory."

She hissed and jabbed him with her long, sharp claws. "This is _our _territory, kitten. Run before I claw your nose off."

The small tom shook on his paws but stupidly didn't run. Angry beyond all reason, Tigerpaw slashed the back of her paw across his face, knocking him off his paws. He looked at her with wide, shocked eyes. Satisfaction washed over her paws.

"Get out of ThunderClan territory!" snarled Tigerpaw, raising a paw. "You stupid, useless pathetic kit-"

"Leave that kit alone!"

A big tom cat leaped off the top of the garden wall. Tigerpaw forgot about the kit, her fur fluffing up so she was twice her size and her teeth peeled back into a fearsome snarl. The tom leaped at her, but she rolled away, throwing him off balance, and slammed her paws into his belly. He yowled.

Thistleclaw snarled savagely, caught up fighting another large tom. "I'll teach you to trespass on ThunderClan territory!"

"The forest belongs to everyone!" responded the other tom.

"Run kit!" yowled the first tom.

Enraged, the apprentice leaped at him, sinking her teeth into his shoulder. The tom yowled, and twisted. His muscles were thicker and stronger than hers but he was also heavier and fatter. She remembered what Thistleclaw had told her about RiverClan. She rolled and dodged, using her smaller size to her advantage. She wasn't fast enough to dodge every strike, but her claws sank into flesh and her teeth buried into fur, spilling blood.

The kit yowled in horror. The tom she fought whipped away, looking around. His eyes landed on the other body of the other kittypet tom. "No, Oliver..."

Tigerpaw saw her chance and took it, sinking her teeth into his throat, ripping her hind claws through his stomach. He screamed and thrashed, but she had struck a thick pulsating vein. His strength and life bleed away between her teeth, his body weakening. She waited until he collapsed and was still before pulling away.

He laid on the ground, like a large overgrown mouse, like freshkill.

"You did well, Tigerpaw." Thistleclaw licked his lips clean of blood. "We'll leave the bodies here are a reminder for the others not to cross ThunderClan." He scanned the walls thoughtfully, his tail lashing eagerly. "Let's finish marking the border."

Tigerpaw looked around, but the kit was gone. She hissed, dissatisfied.

"I need to be stronger," she mewed firmly.

"Your training has only just begun," Thistleclaw assured her. "In a few moons, you'll be strong enough to kill foxes without help from any cat. That is why we practice. Have patience."

Tigerpaw nodded solemnly and gave the kittypet bodies one last look. Was it her imagination or did both these kittypets look half ThunderClan? They had long fur, feathery tails, lion-like faces, and distinct manes. Were they Pinetsar's kits? She shook herself. The kittypets were too big to be ThunderClan cats and had the webbed paws of RiverClan cats. Unless a RiverClan cat had gone through ThunderClan territory just to mate with him, that was impossible.

They continued the rest of the patrol in silence. Tigerpaw had licked her paws and mouth clean of blood when they reached the end of the border, arriving at a tall bark wall fence that bordered treecutplace.

"Let's head back to camp." Thistleclaw finished marking the last tree and started for home.

"Are we going to tell the Clan?" Tigerpaw didn't think the Clan would approve of killing kittypets. Certainly not Bluefur.

"They wouldn't understand," Thistleclaw mewed. "We'll just say we scented them on the border."

Tigerpaw nodded, frowning. Her thoughts turned back to the black kit, how the two toms had quickly came to his defense. Now that she thought about the whole situation, something didn't feel right.

_I want to be the strongest warrior of ThunderClan_, she thought, rebuking herself, her gaze falling on Thistleclaw's broad shoulders. _This is the only way._

She squashed the feelings of guilt and hurried to catch up. When she arrived in camp, she was hungry and immediately fetched some freshkill to eat. With nothing else to do, she retired to her nest. She fell asleep before Frostpaw could show up and keep her awake with her possible future kit stories. The last thing she wanted to listen to was how brave little Snowkit saved the Clan from evil, impossible shadow-rogues.

Over the next few days, Thistleclaw took her out for battle practice. She learned new moves every day, each more advanced than the last. She came back from a rough bout and was eating a mouse when Bluefur walked up to her. The blue-gray warrior looked serious and disquiet, which immediately put Tigerpaw on edge.

"Come with me," Bluefur ordered.

Tigerpaw already knew what this about and she hated being forced to follow after the older warrior. She couldn't disobey; she was an apprentice and Bluefur was even older than Thistleclaw. Bluefur headed straight for the camp entrance. Tigerpaw followed, tail-tip twitching nervously. They padded to a small clearing over the top of the ravine and out of sight of the camp. Bluefur sat with her tail wrapped around her legs, a contemplative expression on her face.

Tigerpaw wanted to claw it off. _Don't pretend you're wise, furbrain._

"Do you remember what happened on your last patrol at twolegplace?"

"It was uneventful," Tigerpaw mewed smoothly. "We scented a few kittypets on the border but never saw any cat." Her thoughts turned back to the kit and she frowned.

"You didn't see anything odd?" Bluefur pressed, her eyes sharp.

Tigerpaw bristled. "What are you trying to say?"

"We found a few kittypets near the border," she mewed slowly. "They were killed."

"Maybe the kittypets fought each other," Tigerpaw mewed with a shrug, feeling her stomach turn uneasily. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that we don't have to worry about them anymore."

Bluefur hummed thoughtfully. "Why would we need to worry about them?"

Tigerpaw hissed. "They're kittypets. Disloyal, stupid, and lazy."

"I know you're upset your father left you." Bluefur's mew was warm and compassionate. "He was a great leader and a good Clanmate."

"He wasn't good. He was a traitor." Tigerpaw lashed her tail. "I'm going to be better than him."

The apprentice thought she saw a flash of respect and understanding in the warrior's eyes, but also sadness.

_Pity_, she thought with disgust. Tigerpaw fought the urge to bat Bluefur in the face, preferably claws unsheathed.

"I see." The blue-gray she-cat paused, gave a tiny dip of her head, but then she lifted her nose snobbishly. "You do know that we don't have to kill to be good warriors. The warrior code says to challenge trespassers, not to kill them."

Tigerpaw dug her claws into the earth. "Cats die, Bluefur, and sometimes they deserve it. It's not my fault stupid kittypets got themselves killed."

Bluefur's gaze hardened and her voice became sharper. "The warrior code is above petty feelings, Tigerpaw."

The apprentice said nothing to this, her gaze falling to the ground. "Like I said, it was uneventful."

"Very well. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Tigerpaw fought to keep her emotions in check as she padded back to camp without even a dip of her head. She walked straight into Whitepaw.

"Have you seen Bluefur?"

She stopped short and glared hard at Whitepaw. "If you're so attached to that she-cat, maybe you should have stayed in the nursery with her."

Whitepaw blinked in surprise. "That's not fair. You know Bluefur has always been like a mother to me."

"She isn't your mother," snapped Tigerpaw, lashing her tail. "And you're an apprentice. You're going to be a warrior in a few moons. You don't see me asking where my mother is every single time she leaves camp. Leopardfoot can handle herself and so can Bluefur."

"But I wanted to tell her about-"

Tigerpaw shoved past, bristling. "I'm not Bluefur's _mentor_."

She hurried to her den, trying not to think about Whitepaw's hurt look. She was tired of talking about Bluefur or listening to Bluefur. The she-cat didn't understand. Tigerpaw was going to be the best warrior ever. The strongest, the fastest, the smartest. The warrior code was only holding her back.

_Thistleclaw is the only one that understands me._

Whitepaw padded in after her, bemused. "What's your problem with Bluefur?"

She glared. Didn't he understand that she didn't want to talk about this? "Bluefur is an annoying furball. She doesn't understand anything."

"Bluefur is a great warrior," mewed Whitepaw, looking disturbed.

"Thistleclaw is a better warrior," snapped Tigerpaw.

"Thistleclaw likes to fight a lot."

"And that's supposed to be a bad thing?" Tigerpaw remembered the kittypets, the kit, and felt uneasy. She turned away and curled up tight, refusing to look at the white tom. "There's nothing wrong with my mentor."

Whitepaw said nothing, settling into his own nest, right beside Brindlepaw's. A few moments later, Frostpaw walked in, pressing into Tigerpaw uncomfortably. Tigerpaw wondered how everything could have changed in only a quarter moon. Who knew what life would be like after the next three moons?

_I'm going to become the best warrior. _

She dreamed of a sea of blood, of kits, and screaming.

* * *

**Wrote this after semi-losing a bet. I missed one deadline but nailed the second. Also, the guy who semi-won the bet may or may not be somewhere online. He wanted to be mentioned in this but didn't want his name username mentioned. Have fun trying to figure out who he is; you really don't have any chance.**

**If enough people favorite this, I'm gonna continue it. Currently my bare minimum is 10 favs. My reasoning: I have other fanfiction to start and finish, so I don't want that number to be too big. At the same time, I'm not expecting this to get much traffic so I wanted to give this story a fighting chance. **

**I have five chapters already planned out so we'll see if it hits that 10 fav minimum.**


	2. Apprentice 2

Tigerpaw stalked quietly through the dark green underbrush. The fresh smell of pine and the muffled noises of prey in the underbrush surrounded her, filling her with a hungry thrill. A thrush trilled quietly overhead, its red and grey plumage puffing out to challenge a nearby squirrel. Tigerpaw could practically taste the scent of it in her mouth.

_It's good to be an apprentice_, she thought, fighting a purr. _ I can't wait to be a warrior. _

Her paws slid soundlessly over the pine needles, her hardened muscles coiling as she slowly shifted in preparation for a leap. Like a rabbit darting out of its bury, she raced up the tree trunk, her claws slamming down on the thrush. Her paws struggled to keep herself hooked over the branch long enough to deliver a killing bite to the thrush's neck. As her backclaws slipped down the bark, she twisted, carrying her prey with her as she landed neatly on the ground.

"Well done!" Thistleclaw emerged out of the underbrush beside her, his tail lashing and eyes shinning with pride.

Tigerpaw puffed out her chest. "I have a really good mentor," she mewed softly, blinking up at him.

The last two moons felt like they had slipped through her claws as quickly as gurgling water through tree roots. Everyday was busy with drills, from dawn to dusk. Tigerpaw had only slept a little. She constantly felt alive, eager to jump at the scent and sound of prey, but she controlled it.

_No one trains as good as_ _Thistleclaw_, she thought, her mind turning unfavorably toward Bluefur. _No matter what Whitepaw says!_

In front of her, Thistleclaw's whiskers twitched at the praise and he blinked at her warmly before turning away, his voice returning to its normal growl. "Your assessment will be tomorrow. You will rest and eat until then." An amused purr escaped him as he gave a playful mew. "I can't have the Clan thinking I never let you eat."

Tigerpaw nodded, frowning as she remembered the harsh and judging glances from some of the Clan kept giving Thistleclaw recently. It had started shortly after Spottedpaw, Redpaw, and Willowpaw had been made apprentices. Tigerpaw still had no idea what that was about.

_At least, Frostpaw will have someone else's ears to talk off. _Tigerpaw had always suspected that Frostpaw and Willowpaw would get along well. Willowpaw was a chatty apprentice and Frostpaw wouldn't stop talking about mates and kits like she was a warrior already. Tigerpaw wondered who would pick Frostpaw to be their mate. _Probably someone with bees in their brain. _Though, Tigerpaw privately wished Frostpaw would become a nursery queen forever. _I can't imagine her surviving a fight against a ShadowClan patrol._

She murmured her understanding and quickly raced to gather all the prey she'd caught. She'd been out all morning, sneaking around the territory and avoiding being spotted and caught by other cats as she hunted at the very edge of ThunderClan territory. When she finally made it back to camp near nightfall, she was carrying two squirrels by the tails, a mouse and a shrew tucked under her chin, and a rabbit on her back, the latter of which she had caught purely by chance while collecting her prey near the WindClan border. She dropped her prey onto the freshkill pile, feeling warm with pride as cats eagerly stepped forward and mewed appreciatively at her catch.

"You're going to be amazing during the assessment tomorrow," mewed Redpaw, the young ginger and white tom blinking up at her with awe.

Tigerpaw couldn't help but see her own admiration for Thistleclaw in those eyes and purred warmly at the tom. "Thank you, Redpaw. I'm sure your going to do well on your first apprentice ceremony."

After receiving a few other well earned praises, Tigerpaw padded to the apprentice's den to rest. Like so many times before, especially in the past moon, she felt too big for the cramped space of the den. Thistleclaw had told her that some cats don't stop growing until well after becoming a warrior, and Tigerpaw seemed to be one of those cats. She had almost outgrown all the apprentices, except Whitepaw, and most of the ThunderClan warriors. _I'm probably as big as Pinestar now_, she thought, internally hissing at the thought. She hoped size was the only thing she got from the traitor.

Frostpaw and Willowpaw were side-by-side, whispering quietly and giggling like they had all the secrets of the Clans between their paws. Whitepaw and Brindlepaw shared tongues, quietly grooming each other without paying much attention to anyone or anything else, their eyes hooded in relaxation. Redpaw had moved his nest closer to Tigerpaw when the she-cat wasn't looking, but she didn't mind it so much as long the younger tom didn't try to talk her ears off or insist on sharing tongues. Tigerpaw's fur was already well groomed after she had been forced to wait for her mentor to get out of a meeting with Tawnyspots.

_Tomorrow's going to be a great day_, she thought, already imagining herself standing before her leader to receive her warrior name. Tigerpaw curled up tightly in her nest, not even looking up when Redpaw padded into the den and pressed up against her fur. In her minds eye, she felt the long, thick fur of Thistleclaw breathing softly beside her as the night cold crept into the warrior's den.

She awoke at dawn before remembering she had no training to worry about. She awoke again at sunhigh when a call for the Clan to gather cut through the dull monotony of Frostpaw and Willowpaw's drowning. _StarClan, do they even train?_ Tigerpaw wondered before escaping the small den.

Angry warriors bristled and hissed angrily together under the Highrock. Tigerpaw felt her pelt bristle with indignation when she realized Sunstar had gone straight into the announcement.

"I saw them!" yowled Thistleclaw in outrage. "They hadn't even marked that border before they decided to hunt there!"

"Sunningrocks is ours!" snarled Adderfang, his sneer revealing his long fangs. "We should rip those mangepelts apart for even touching it!"

"I agree!" Tawnyspots' voice yowled above the rest, causing a small hush. The deputy's gaze swept the Clan, meeting each fiery gaze evenly. "RiverClan has gone too far this time. They have no respect for ThunderClan or the warrior code and must be punished appropriately."

Tigerpaw felt her paws twinge with excitement at the prospect of a battle, and nodded enthusiastically to the tom. _This is what a warrior was made to do! To fight._

She felt a pang of hunger in her belly and realized she hadn't eaten for a few days. She was at the back of the group, so she wouldn't be noticed and she raced to the freshkill pile to grab a mouse and quickly scarfed it down even as the gathering continued.

"Who will go on the battle patrol?" demanded Thistleclaw.

"No one," yowled Sunstar, his whiskers twitching, "has decided anything yet, Thistleclaw."

"Surely you jest!" snapped the big tabby. "The RiverClan cats have crossed a line and disrespected our borders. If we want to avoid them thinking us weak, we _must_ retaliate."

Tigerpaw purred softly to herself. _Thistleclaw is exactly right! We can't be warriors if we avoid conflict._

"We must think through our options carefully," cautioned Sunstar, his eyes narrowed in warning.

Thistleclaw's tail flicked unhappily at this news.

_Since when did thinking things through catch prey?_ Tigerpaw thought, bemused. She spotted Redpaw weaving through the crowd to join her. He didn't seem to notice the freshkill.

"Isn't this exciting?" Redpaw mewed with a glance at Sunstar. "We might get to go on a battle patrol!"

Tigerpaw purred in agreement, glad that she wasn't the only one eager to fight. "I hope Sunstar will pick me. I'll impress him so much he'll make me a warrior the moment I return."

"Very well," Sunstar mewed, sounding very official and final, his voice stern and commanding. "Thistleclaw, you will lead a patrol of warriors to take back Sunningrocks. Take any volunteers to go with you."

"I will, Sunstar," mewed Thistleclaw, his voice rumbling darkly.

Tigerpaw leaped up. "I'll go!" she called, her tail twitching eagerly when Thistleclaw flicked an ear in her direction. She hoped that his whiskers were curling in smugness because of her.

"Adderfang, Sparrowpelt, Leopardfoot, Whitepaw, and Tigerpaw," mewed Thistleclaw without any hesitation, gazing challengingly at Tawnyspots. "We'll make sure RiverClan knows their place!"

"You aren't taking my nephew anywhere without me," snarled Bluefur, pushed her way forward and gazing boldly at Thistleclaw.

"Fine then," mewed Thistleclaw, annoyance in his mew. He shoved passed her and stormed towards the entrance, tail raised. "ThunderClan with me!"

Tigerpaw felt a flash of annoyance towards the blue-gray she-cat and immediately turned to Whitepaw, who lashed his tail eagerly at the prospect of fighting for his Clanmates. "Doesn't your Aunt think you're a good enough warrior?"

Whitepaw was thrown off, giving Tigerpaw a confused look. "Bluefur just wants to make sure I'm going to be okay."

Tigerpaw sneered. "I don't need _my_ mother to babysit me during a fight." As if to prove her point, she raced passed Leopardfoot and stayed on Thistleclaw's tail, grateful for his constant training. She easily outpaced Whitepaw and kept up with the slightly larger warrior without falling out of breath.

They reached the clearing surrounding Sunningrocks in record time, their fur bushed out as they took in the RiverClan scents. Thistleclaw flicked his tail for the patrol to split and spread out. Tigerpaw ended up with Leopardfoot and Sparrowpelt, while everyone else went the other way around. Tigerpaw made sure to rub her scent on everything, hoping a passing RiverClan warrior could recognize her scent among them and know she nearby and ready to fight.

"Don't mark everything," mewed Sparrowpelt gruffly. "We'll be here all day."

Tigerpaw muttered crossly to herself but obeyed, hoping the wind would carry her message for her. Her ears remained perked and she gazed keenly into the bushes, tail twitching with eagerness and anticipation.

Yowls and hisses split the air. Tigerpaw felt her heart soar and her paws pounded on earth.

"This way!" Sparrowpelt yowled unnecessarily, his dark brown pelt rippling with muscles as he charged after her, Leopardfoot on his heels.

Tigerpaw threw herself into the battlefield and instantly tackled an unfamiliar pelt to the ground. A brown tabby warrior stood up, green eyes narrowed as it hissed at her. "Get off our territory, thunderpath filth!"

Rage and adrenaline pulsed through her body as she reared back, her lips peeled back into a fierce, excited snarl. "You first, fishbreath!"

She leaped into the tom's shoulder, knocking him onto his side, and slashed down the tom's side. She felt the tug of flesh on claws, the copper smell of blood on the air, and felt the other warrior writhe under her. Her thoughts drifted to the black kit who had disappeared in the fight. Her claws shredded through the warriors fur, her teeth sank into muscle and bit down until she tasted blood. She pulled back and blinked in surprise at the bite mark in the other warrior's neck.

"You've killed me," he gasped, green eyes round with shock.

For a heartbeat, Tigerpaw had no idea what to do. Had she meant to kill the warrior? Did it really matter? She pulled back her lips and decided, no it didn't. "This is our territory, fishbreath. You should have thought about that before you attacked us."

"But a-a warrior doesn't need to kill to win his battles," choked the RiverClan cat, looking lost and confused.

Tigerpaw lifted her head. "I was defending my territory. You shouldn't expect me to hold back just because of your mousebrained code."

The RiverClan cat wheeze and lay still. Tigerpaw felt as if she had awakened from a dream and she wondered if she had really said that to the dying RiverClan warrior. She turned around and glanced around nervously, but everyone was too preoccupied with fighting to have noticed what she had done. She shook off the trepidation as her mind flashed to the warrior assessment, and she threw herself back into the fight.

"Grasswhisker!" wailed a RiverClan she-cat.

Tigerpaw turned and saw a ginger she-cat touch pelts with the dead tom. Her eyes glistened with grief. "He's dead."

"That's what he gets for hunting on our territory!" snarled Thistleclaw, tail lashing furiously.

"Leopardfoot is dead."

Tigerpaw turned slowly, like she hadn't heard the words. Her eyes landed on a fallen black warrior, barely visible black spots showing through silvery underfur. Sparrowpelt stepped back, looking stricken.

"One life for a life," mewed Adderfang solemnly, his eyes dark with fury. He stepped up to the ginger she-cat, his long fangs flashing as he growled. "A fair trade."

Thistleclaw snorted. "You take our territory and kill one of our warriors and expect one life to be a fair trade?" He looked pointedly at the older brown tabby before letting his gaze swept the RiverClan cats. "You are rogues for hunting on our territory! The death of your warrior is the price you pay for that. But killing one of ours is only going to bring more death and war upon your heads." The silence which greeted his statement made Tigerpaw's fur stand on end with electricity.

"RiverClan," mewed an older dark blue-grey tom, his tail rising. "Retreat!"

Two warriors quickly hauled Grasswhisker's body between them and slipped into the water. Tigerpaw watched them until they had disappeared to the other side of the river.

Whitepaw touched her ear with his nose. "I'm so sorry about your mother, Tigerpaw."

Tigerpaw stared blankly at Whitepaw and then looked down at the dead black she-cat. If she was honest with herself, she felt nothing for the dead she-cat. "Not all of us are like you and Bluefur," she mewed instead, turning away from Whitepaw's shocked look.

Thistleclaw and Adderfang arranged the body between them and carried her back all the way to the camp, Tigerpaw skirting around them with her tail raised in triumph but her whiskers drooping in a frown. What would her Clanmates think of her if she showed up and didn't grieve for Leopardfoot like the rest of them? She couldn't imagine that going over well with the rest of them.

When they arrived in camp, the Clan was horrified at Leopardfoot's death. Thistleclaw explained the whole situation and how the RiverClan patrol had killed Leopardfoot through an ambush.

Sunstar blinked away sadness as he looked down at the she-cat. "She was a good friend and a great warrior," he mewed solemnly, bowing his head.

The rest of the Clan did the same. Tigerpaw mimicked them, wondering if she was holding her head down too long or not. She had never experienced grief before. Maybe she wasn't able to? She tried to remember something sad, tried to remember her mother from before she left the nursery, but it seemed like so long ago. Had her mother been pushing her away, just as Tigerpaw had been pushing away everyone for the sake of becoming the greatest warrior ever? With a jolt of shock, Tigerpaw realized that she couldn't remember the last time her mother had even spoken to her.

_She probably left me alone so I could become a great warrior_, she thought but it sounded hollow.

_She rejected_ me, whispered a voice,_ just like father did._

And she didn't care. She felt nothing for the black she-cat. When it came her turn to share tongues with her for one last time, she silently pressed her nose into the stranger's shoulder for the amount of time it took to hold her breath, and then padded away towards her den with the intent to sleep.

Thistleclaw's smell wrapped around her, and she stopped to look up into his sad dark amber eyes. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Tigerpaw."

Tigerpaw felt a flash of warmth towards the tom. _He cares for me, maybe like I do him. _"Thank you, Thistleclaw."

"I saw you fighting today," he mewed. "Leopardfoot would have been proud of you."

An uncomfortable, guilty sensation made her paws want to squirm. "How much did you see?"

His eyes sparkled, his voice low and dark. "I saw a warrior do what she was meant to do."

A shiver ran up her spine. _Thistleclaw knows_, she thought, relieved. She berated himself. _Of course he does, he has always understood me. That's why I'm a warrior right now.  
_

Thistleclaw padded away and sat beside the young apprentice, Spottedpaw, and began murmuring to her. A flush of jealousy burned in Tigerpaw but she quieted it, up until she saw Thistleclaw gesture towards the star and murmur something about _how they were destined to be together_. Furious beyond all reason and shocked at herself for want to swipe her claws through Thistleclaw's fur, she stormed into the apprentice's den and settled down to rest.

However, it wasn't long before she awoke to the sound of Sunstar's yowl and realized that it was almost night time. Leopardfoot's body would have already been carried out to be buried. She hurried outside to find that the Clan had already gathered, and she stood there feeling more than a little worried that RiverClan had attacked again... or come to blame her for the death of Grasswhisker.

"During the battle," mewed Sunstar, "one of our apprentices fought bravely against a RiverClan warrior and defeated them!" His amber eyes shown brightly as he gazed around the camp. "It is time that that apprentice was made a warrior of the Clan."

Tigerpaw stepped on her own forepaw, her claws digging into flesh, just to tell herself that she wasn't dreaming. Her gaze sought out Whitepaw, who watched curiously and hopefully from the back of the Clan.

"Tigerpaw," mewed Sunstar to murmurs of shock and surprise as he gestured her forward.

She felt almost disappointed, but repressed it. She had achieved her dream of becoming a warrior of ThunderClan, but she wasn't sure if she was the best warrior of ThunderClan. A few more moons of training would have toughened up her muscles, giving her bulk, and made her stronger. She strode boldly through the crowd and lifted her head towards the Highrock.

The yellow tabby continued. "I, Sunstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

"Tigerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Tigerpaw lashed her tail. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Tigerpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Tigerclaw. StarClan honors your skill and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

The roars of her Clanmates nearly defended her. "Tigerclaw! Tigerclaw! Tigerclaw!"

She felt like an entirely new world had suddenly opened up before her. She scanned the camp, hoping to see-

Her eyes landed on Thistleclaw, his amber eyes bright and his whiskers smug. He nodded, and she just knew he was responsible for making her a warrior. He had known she would be a great warrior- had known from the beginning. He understood her on a level that went beyond the normal relationship between mentor and apprentice. They were practically kin.

She did not keep searching for anyone else, but the cat she dreaded and hoped to see appeared before her, his white pelt soft and bright in the sunlight.

"Good job, Tigerclaw," mewed Whitepaw.

Tigerclaw dipped her head awkwardly and coolly but said nothing.

Whitepaw nodded. "That's right, you can't speak until after your vigil." His tail lashed as his eyes brightened. "Hope you don't forget about any of us other apprentices."

Tigerclaw had forgotten about her vigil, but she nodded anyway just so that the white tom would leave her alone. She padded to the edge of camp and settled down for a long cold night, fully expecting to sleep it through. But as night nestled around her, she felt a strange spell overcome her. The forest seemed almost alive with barely audiable noises. The cry of a kit, the murmuring of a warrior who could not sleep, the slight taste of blood on her whiskers. She settled for grooming herself all over, but the smell of blood seemed to be everywhere, a faint coppery scent that seemed to be all over her fur. When she looked down, the black pool of shadow under her looked almost like it was pulsating and growing larger, like black blood. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she couldn't remember when it started up, and she heard the sound of blood rushing through the trees like a stream crashing through the waves. But all she saw was the forest, the darkness, and the shadow.

Dawn crept up over the horizon. Tigerclaw blinked as if awakening from a dream and looked around in time to see Thistleclaw emerge from the warrior's den and pad towards her.

"The vigil is over," he mewed warmly. "The Clan will be gathered soon. I recommend grabbing a bite to eat and staying in camp."

His eyes seemed brighter than the forest around her.

"I'm proud of you," he mewed.

She wanted to tell him, wanted to say something, but the words never made it to her throat. "Thank you. You were a good mentor."

Thistleclaw nodded. "I have a few cats I'd like you to meet, if you're interested."

"Thistleclaw," mewed Tigerclaw, and for a heartbeat was unsure if she should continue. The tom waited expectantly, so she continued. "What were you talking to Spottedpaw about?"

Thistleclaw went still for a heartbeat before he shrugged. "Nothing of importance."

"Okay," mewed Tigerclaw. "I just wanted to let you know that I think of you as more than just a mentor. I always have." She stared hopefully into his eyes.

Thistleclaw stared at her intently then dipped his head. "I'm honored you would think of me in such a way," he mewed. "I know what it's like to lose a father."

"I meant something else," she mewed quickly, worriedly.

He blinked in confusion. "I... see." He glanced away. "Are you still interested in seeing my friends?"

"Of course," she mewed.

With a nod, he padded away, tail-tip twitching.

A wave of disappointment crashed into her, but she ignored her feelings in favor of grabbing a bite to eat. It seemed like forever before the dawn patrols left and the rest of the Clan roused themselves. Thistleclaw went and came back from a hunting patrol before finally approaching her again.

"Come," he mewed. "Let me introduce you to my friends."

Thistleclaw led her to two older toms. "Adderfang, Tawnyspots, have you met Tigerclaw yet?"

Adderfang was a hulking dark brown tabby warrior, while Tawnyspots was a sleek light grey spotted tabby. Tigerclaw greeted them with a respectful dip.

"You must be strong if Sunstar made you a warrior so soon," mewed Adderfang. His fangs were long and yellow and needle-sharp like kit teeth. "You ever thought of having kits?"

Tigerclaw fought not to look at Thistleclaw. "Not really."

"Don't," Adderfang growled. "There's a high risk of death, you'll pack on a lot of fluff you won't be able to get rid of easy, and it'll make your muscles weaker."

Tigerclaw felt a flash of alarm.

Thistleclaw smoothly interjected. "Don't listen to Adderfang. We need kits for the Clan. The only real problem is when she-cats get it into their heads to stay in the nursery."

Tigerclaw quietly agreed, relieved that Thistleclaw didn't think having kits was a problem. Maybe...

"Didn't your mate want to stay in the nursery?" Tawnyspots mewed, amused.

Thistleclaw growled good-naturedly and flexed his claws at the tom. "Watch what you say about Snowfur."

Maybe not. Tigerclaw knew how much Thistleclaw loved Snowfur and still remembered her, but he could he set aside those feelings for her?

_I won't have Thistleclaw's kits because I like him,_ she snapped at herself. _Like he said, the Clan needs kits, and our kits would be strongest of them all._

"The Clan needs strong warriors if it's going to have strong kits," she mewed aloud.

"Well said," mewed Adderfang.

Pleased, Tigerclaw finally looked at Thistleclaw and nearly choked on a furball. The tom was staring at her with such a gentle gaze that Tigerclaw couldn't help but feel warmth.

"Well said indeed," he mewed, turning his head away even as his eyes stayed on her. "You will be a wise warrior."

"I'm glad you think so," she mewed before she could stop herself. "How has Whitepaw's training been going?"

"Well enough," mewed Thistleclaw.

"Let's be grateful," mewed Adderfang, a knowing look in his eyes as he watched Thistleclaw's reaction, "that Bluefur wasn't his mentor and leave it at that."

"Agreed," mewed Tawnyspot, sounding exasperated.

Tigerclaw instantly felt displeased with their reactions. So did Thistleclaw.

"What news about you, Tawnyspots?" mewed Thistleclaw. "I've seen you in the medicine cat's den more often than not." Thistleclaw paused, his eyes glittered. "Is everything all right?"

The pale tabby shifted. Then he sighed. "It seems my health isn't what it used to be."

"Are you planning to step down?" Adderfang's eyes were sharp.

"If this gets worse, probably." Tawnyspots frowned. "It would not do the Clan well to have a constantly ill deputy, now would it?"

Tigerclaw felt like she had been hit with a sledgehammer. How could she not have noticed? Of course Thistleclaw would - he was the best warrior in ThunderClan. But why hadn't she? She always wanted to be the best warrior in the Clan and who could be better than the warrior who became deputy?

"We have plenty of good warriors who can become deputy." She wished had already had trained an apprentice. "No doubt, ThunderClan will be in safe paws when you are gone."

Tawnyspots hummed thoughtfully to himself.

Adderfang gave Tigerclaw a toothy grin. "Let's not encourage him from stepping down too soon, eh?"

Tawnyspots huffed. "I don't intend to step down anytime soon." He gave the grinning cat a pointed and friendly glare before he turned away. "Unless absolutely necessary."

Tigerclaw internally winced. Adderfang was right, that had been rude of her, but Tawnyspots didn't seem to mind or hadn't noticed, so she just kept quiet.

"Where do you see yourself in a few moons, Tigerclaw?" Adderfang mewed.

Tigerclaw was already starting to appreciate the dark tabby's keen mind. "With an apprentice, of course," she mewed, amused. But she could also see herself with a litter of kits at her belly, nestled in the warm nursery with the smell of milk filling her nostrils, with Thistleclaw standing over her with pride in his amber eyes.

"Of course," mewed Adderfang with a knowing look at Thistleclaw, and Tigerclaw realized she had been staring at the big tom's broad shoulders.

"My apprentice wants to be the greatest warrior in the Clan," her former mentor mewed with a frown. "Unlike some others, she actually has the talent to back her up."

Adderfang's eyes seemed to laugh. "Every apprentice wants to be the best. It's what else they want that we need to be aware of."

Thistleclaw frowned at him in confusion, eyes narrowed as if he was trying to figure out what was going on under the brown tabby's mind. Internally, Tigerclaw made a mental note to speak with Adderfang more often. The tom's insight might be exactly what she needed to become a better warrior than even Thistleclaw. Until then...

"I should prepare a nest for myself," she mewed, rising to her paws. Her gaze swept the Clan as she imagined herself standing over them on the Highrock one day. Her tail lashed with excitement. She dipped her head to the senior warriors. "Is it alright if I make my nest close to yours?"

"Certainly," mewed Thistleclaw.

"No problem," agreed Tawnyspots.

"You were going to move it somewhere else?" Adderfang mewed incredulously, letting out a soft, raspy huff of laughter as Thistleclaw shot him a bemused look.

Yes, she was going to be talking with Adderfang a lot.


	3. Young Warrior 1

**A/N: I should have probably added a disclaimer when I first posted this chapter but here it is: This chapter and the next talks about and deals with the unhealthy relationship between Thistleclaw and Spottedpaw as introduced in Spottedleaf's Heart. Viewer discretion is advised. Because of the sensitive of the topic, I've bumped up the rating of this story from a T to M.**

* * *

Tigerclaw pressed her nose into the sharp smelling pink flowers, trying to smell the mole hiding in the tunnel underneath. Her ears twitched. Claws scratched at the ground, releasing the fresh smell of earth. Tigerclaw looked up and twitched her ears, watching as Adderfang skillfully hooked out small pink shapes.

"You found them," she mewed, fighting a flash of disappointment that she hadn't gotten to find it.

His eyes sparkled. "You'll figure it out eventually, kitten."

Her tail lashed. "Don't call me kitten." She sniffed the small pink prey and sighed. "This isn't enough to feed a kit."

"You have to think bigger than that," mewed Adderfang, whiskers twitching mysteriously. "Let's take them while they're still fresh and twitching."

Tigerclaw tilted her head thoughtfully and begrudgingly carried the mole pups by their tail, following after Adderfang. She recognized the trail to Snakerocks and wondered what the old warrior was thinking.

Adderfang halted at the edge of the clearing and crouched down. "Prey is prey," mewed Adderfang softly, gesturing forward with his tail. "Put them out there."

Tigerclaw flattened her ears. "This is our prey."

"What is more important, tiny pups or a couple of big snakes?" Adderfang flicked his tail. "Which would you rather have, Tigerclaw, a big bird or small bird?"

The black-and-brown tabby hesitated for a moment. Then she dipped her head and stealthily crept out into the clearing, dropping the prey on a small mound of dirt. She hurried back to Adderfang.

"Now watch," he hissed.

Tigerclaw scanned the clearing, her sharp yellow eyes piercing the shadows easily. Her ears were rotated forward, and she detected the faint slither-hiss of snakes under the rocks. She fought a wave of impatience. They could be spending their time finding larger prey instead of testing a nest of poisonous snakes.

But a warrior was supposed to be patient, she told herself, forcing her fur to flatten and her muscles to relax. It did not help still her thoughts; all she could think about was the wasted prey.

Adderfang's head moved, his whiskers poking into her fur. She instantly stiffened and rose into a hunter's crouch, eyes scanning the clearing once more for movement. A green wedge-shaped head emerged from the tall grasses, its wide bulbous eyes staring forward as its forked tongue lashed at the air.

Before Tigerclaw could blink, Adderfang leaped through the air and landed neatly on top of the snake, pinning it with his paws and biting down onto the base of its neck. The body lashed and writhed in his teeth. He pulled it up and raced over to Tigerclaw, who recoiled at the thrashing thing.

"Careful," she hissed despite herself, her ears listening for more snakes in the grass.

Adderfang raced passed her and into the thicket until she couldn't hear the snake anymore. Eager for her own kill, she looked forward again and waited for the next snake to pop up. Her impatience vanished.

A brown head emerged out of the grass, much more cautiously than the first one. It neared the pile of prey, attracted by the smell of living prey. Tigerclaw tensed her muscles and then gave a mighty leap, her tail whipping behind her as she aimed her paws down onto the snake's body. She felt dry scales under her paws and bit down behind the snake's head. It's body thrashed and writhed under her powerfully, nearly knocking her clean off, before it began to slow and weaken, tightening up around her uselessly. Her neck muscles ached as she dragged it with her into the bushes.

"Nice," said Adderfang, licking his paws clean. The green snake lay dead at his paws. "This will feed many cats in the Clan."

Tigerclaw frowned to herself. "We'll have to catch more prey than this," she mewed, the snake falling limply at her paws. "Every warrior needs to bring back two pieces of prey, one for himself and one for the Clan."

Adderfang nodded absently. "Yes, but one snake can feed two cats."

Tigerclaw opened her mouth to argue but realized that Adderfang had a point. Besides, did they really have to follow every little advice the warrior code gave?

"Thistleclaw is going to be impressed with the haul," Adderfang mewed innocently, a twinkle in his eye.

The thought of bringing Thistleclaw an adder that they could both share filled Tigerclaw with excitement and a warm flash of pride. "Do you need me to carry yours?"

"Thanks," he mewed, whiskers twitching, "but I can handle it. I'm not that old yet."

They padded back to camp, the snake bodies dragging behind them. Tigerclaw wondered if Thistleclaw would approve of the catch.

"Tigerclaw," mewed Adderfang, halting beside a big root.

The she-cat checked over the snakes but neither of them had caught on anything. "Yes, Adderfang?"

"Do you want to be deputy of ThunderClan some day?"

Tigerclaw blinked, her eyes rounded. "I don't even have an apprentice yet."

"That doesn't answer my question."

She glanced back over her shoulder, towards the camp, unsure. "I want to be the best warrior in the Clan," she confessed. She gazed at Adderfang intensely. "The strongest warrior in ThunderClan is the leader."

His eyes grew hooded and thoughtful. "A warrior's status doesn't determine how strong they are..."

"But a warrior wouldn't be a deputy or a leader if they weren't strong."

Adderfang gazed at her steadily. "Do you think Sunstar is the strongest warrior in the Clan?"

"Of course not." Tigerclaw blinked in surprise at herself.

"Who do you think the strongest warrior in the Clan is?"

Tigerclaw frowned. "Thistleclaw."

It felt odd to her. How could she be the best warrior if she thought Thistleclaw was? But Adderfang nodded as if he understood and picked up his snake.

"A leader needs a deputy he can count on," he mewed. "Tawnyspots will be missed."

_I haven't even trained an apprentice yet_, she thought. _Why should I hurry?_

Tigerclaw flicked her whiskers in bemusement, but picked up the snake to follow. When they arrived in camp, she spotted Thistleclaw and Spottedpaw together, talking in low voices. It made her fur prickle a tiny bit but she dismissed the thought. Spottedpaw may not be a kitten but she wasn't a warrior yet either, so she wasn't any kind of competition.

Whitepaw padded up to greet her, tail raised and wagging happily. "Did you catch that one yourself?"

Tigerclaw nodded. "I caught it for Thistleclaw."

"Oh," he mewed, ears flicking back for a second. "I'm sure my dad will appreciate it."

Tigerclaw awkwardly dug her claws into the soil and looked anywhere but at Whitepaw for a heartbeat before she pushed the feeling aside and raised her head. "Excuse me," she mewed. She padded towards Thistleclaw, carrying her tail low behind her.

"Tigerclaw!" mewed Thistleclaw, before giving Spottedpaw an apologetic glance. "Excuse me, Spottedpaw."

Tigerclaw hated the low rumble in his voice. Spottedpaw only nodded and blinked admiringly at Thistleclaw, and Tigerclaw searched her gaze for something more there. However, the dappled orange, black, and white she-cat turned away before TIgerclaw could figure out anything.

"What was that about?" she mewed, her voice sounding more threatening than she expected.

"What was what?" Thistleclaw turned and watched as Spottedpaw disappeared into the medicine cat den, his eyes softening.

Tigerclaw felt her fur rise with hot jealousy. "I caught this for you, but if you're too busy with watching apprentices..."

Thistleclaw blinked down at her in surprise, expression turning almost stern. Tigerclaw suddenly felt small and kittish.

"Ah, would you like to share this snake with me?" Tigerclaw felt her ears burn with embarrassment but was determined not to give in to the desire to flatten them.

"Of course," Thistleclaw mewed slowly. "What is this about?"

_Better now then never_, she thought. "I want to talk with you seriously." She flicked her tail-tip at the camp. "Privately."

Thistleclaw slowly looked around the camp, whiskers twitching, but he dipped his head and padded towards the prisoner's den. It was unused and the branches were woven tightly together so no noise or prisoners could escape. As Thistleclaw settled deep inside, Tigerclaw dropped the snake, ignoring how its body rolled and twisted almost as if it was alive. She suddenly felt unsure that this was really a private conversation. The dead eyes stared sightlessly up at her, as if mocking her.

"Well?" mewed Thistleclaw, his voice turning into a low growl.

"Let's eat first," she mewed, suddenly feeling awkward again and cursing herself silently for it. "I can't talk about this on an empty stomach."

Thistleclaw stared at her silently for a moment before looking down at the snake. He hooked it forward and started to peel off the skin. Tigerclaw watched, more fascinated with how he cleaned the kill than the conversation she wanted to have.

_I can't chicken out now_.

When the pink and white flesh had been consumed and the head kicked away to the side, Tigerclaw began. "I was thinking that we're both the strongest warriors in the Clan. If we had kits, they would be even stronger."

"Kits?" echoed Thistleclaw.

Tigerclaw squirmed. "The Clan needs more warriors. Strong warriors, like us." She looked hopefully at the tom. "Our kits would be amazing."

"You've," mewed Thistleclaw, licking his lips thoughtfully, "been thinking about this for a while?"

"Yes. Ever since before I was made an apprentice."

Thistleclaw looked at her seriously before looking at the entrance, his mind elsewhere. He rose to his paws, prey forgotten, and started to lick his paw. With a sigh, he put it down. "I am not interested in a mate."

Tigerclaw flinched, but held firm. _I'm not asking for a mate,_ she told herself despite the way her heart sank into her paws. _I'm doing this for the Clan! _"I don't care about that," she mewed, an image of Spottedpaw and Thistleclaw sitting beside each other causing her ears to burn. "The _Clan_ needs kits for the coming seasons. Ours would make the Clan strong."

Thistleclaw slowly nodded, and Tigerclaw felt a rush of relief and a wave of disappointment. If only she could convince herself that was all she had wanted from him.

"I will have kits with you," mewed Thistleclaw, a shine coming into his eyes. He looked almost happy. "Our kits will be beautiful."

Tigerclaw wished she could happy to see that look in his eye, but she felt too disappointed. She pressed into his fur, but no purr escaped her. Finally, she managed a quiet mew, "I hope they don't disappoint you."

They found a den and stayed together until all through the night.

* * *

She wasn't sure what she expected to happen the day afterwards. After a while, she didn't feel any different and was worried that she wasn't carrying any kits at all. She knew she wouldn't mind trying again with Thistleclaw but the thought of failure made her belly clench uncomfortably.

Her paws prickled as she padded out of the warriors den. Her gaze swept the clearing, and she paused at the sight of Thistleclaw, Tawnyspots, and Adderfang together. Would she be welcome? Her paws trembled.

Adderfang spotted her and winked, flicking with his tail for her to join them. Relief flooded through her and she hurried over, sitting beside Tawnyspots. The deputy gave her a confused glance, but went right back to the conversation.

"So, I'll be retiring before the moon is full," he mewed firmly.

Adderfang dipped his head. "You have served the Clan for a long time, Tawnyspots. Your wisdom and devotion to the Clan will be missed."

Tigerclaw couldn't help herself – she looked at Thistleclaw, eyes shining in excitement. But she contained herself and dipped her head politely to Tawnyspots. "Do you know who Sunstar will pick to take your place?"

The old deputy looked thoughtful. "There are many warriors who are good enough to be deputy."

"Like Thistleclaw?" Tigerclaw pressed.

Adderfang jerked his muzzle at Thistleclaw, his eyes looking more serious than amused. "What do you think, Thistleclaw?"

Thistleclaw stood up, tail raised. "Oh," he growled, "I would be the youngest deputy ThunderClan has ever seen!" His eyes sparkled and whiskers twitched with humor.

"Don't let Rosetail overhear you," started Thistleclaw.

"Too late," muttered Adderfang.

Tigerclaw turned and watched a cream and gray she-cat hurry away towards the nursery.

Thistleclaw let out a loud sigh and muttered lowly. "She could never tell when I was _joking_."

Adderfang nodded wisely. "She loves gossip."

Even though she had never met Rosetail personally, Tigerclaw couldn't help but feel a flash of annoyance. A warrior should have more important things on their mind than gossip.

Tawnyspots licked his chest in embarrassment. "Well," he mewed, "at least some of our bored warriors will have something to distract themselves with."

"They should be hunting for the Clan," mewed Tigerclaw, her lips threatening to curl into a sneer.

Thistleclaw nodded. "Unfortunately, not all warriors are so dedicated to the role as you." He lowered his voice. "Frostpaw is turning into another Robinwing, I think."

"She's going to be worse," confirmed Tawnyspots. He let out a sigh and shook his head. "Some she-cats think they can be queens full time."

Suddenly uncomfortable, Tigerclaw rose to her paws and stretched. "I should go hunt something for the Clan." She paused, looking hopefully at Adderfang. "Would you like to join me?"

"Haven't you seen enough of me?" Adderfang asked with a purr. His eyes looked slyly to Thistleclaw. "Why don't you join her, Thistleclaw? As former mentor and apprentice?"

Thistleclaw hesitated with a glance around the camp, but gave up and nodded. "Sure."

Tigerclaw felt a flash of annoyance at Adderfang's interference but was also grateful. It was a good chance to try again for kits. But Thistleclaw almost seemed reluctant as he lead the way out of camp, his head low for scents of prey and his whiskers brushing against the ground. She swallowed her disappointment and forced her thoughts towards catching prey.

She heard something scrambling across the bark above, and she spotted gray-fur disappear around a tree and out of sight. She wiggled her hindquarters and raced up the tree, careful to be as quiet as possible. She pulled herself over a branch and spotted the long gray tail of the squirrel beneath her. With a cry, she leaped down. The squirrel whipped around, too late, as her claws hooked it off the tree. It landed on its back in the grass and struggled to its paws, but she kicked off the tree and landed on top, biting its neck before it could run off.

"Good job," growled Thistleclaw.

She fought a wave of annoyance. "It wasn't a clean kill," she mewed.

"But it was a kill," he mewed, frowning. "Is there something on your mind?"

_How could he say that?_ She thought in frustration. "I'm fine. I'll get over it."

Thistleclaw watched her furiously dig a hole for the squirrel, his whiskers drooping in a concerned frown. "Is this about the kits?"

"You're not my mate," she snapped, freezing with shock. She hadn't meant to yell at him, but he was seriously asking for it. She turned her back on him, realizing she had ruined her chance of trying again with him.

"You're right," he mewed quietly.

After a few heartbeats of silence, she heard the bushes rustle as he turned away. Her heart sank, and she stared down at the prey, her appetite spoiled.

_I'm never going to have any kits with him_, she thought, her belly churning with dread.

_What is wrong with me?_

She scraped the squirrel out and started to head back to camp, the tail dragging in the dirt. She could taste the earthy flavor in her mouth, and she felt her stomach growl, but she just couldn't bring herself to be interested. When she padded into camp, it was mostly empty, which suited her just fine. She dropped the catch on the pile and headed towards the medicine cat den, her tail dragging.

"Featherwhisker?" She hoped the old batty tom, Goosefeather was out collecting herbs. The way the old tom looked at her made her skin crawl. He was so unnatural.

"Yes?" The youngest ThunderClan medicine cat blinked warmly at her, his eyes scanning her pelt. "Are you alright, Tigerclaw?"

"I don't know," she admitted. She padded slowly over to a nest and settled down, her head on her paws. She looked hopefully at Featherwhisker. "Is there a way to tell if a she-cat is pregnant?"

The feathery gray tom flicked his ears forward and licked his lips thoughtfully. "There _is_ a way," he mewed at last. He sniffed her pelt thoughtfully, prodding her belly with his nose. "Hmm, how long ago did you mate?"

"A few days ago."

"It's too soon to tell," he mewed, pulling away. "If you were pregnant, I would smell it by now."

Tigerclaw lowered her head onto her paws, unable to conjure up a response. Her thoughts turned to Thistleclaw but she banished them.

"Are you all right?"

"Can I rest here tonight?" she asked quietly.

Featherwhisker blinked at her gently. "Sure." He paused a second before turning away. "I'll make sure Goosefeather knows not to give you any of the wrong herbs."

Tigerclaw nodded and settled down in the nest, but couldn't bring herself to fall asleep. Something she couldn't understand still bothered her. But Featherwhisker wouldn't be able to answer her questions, so she settled for trying to get some extra sleep. She didn't feel much better the day afterwards so she settled for hiding in the medicine cat den all day. As night fell, Featherwhisker visited her and checked her over again.

"Yes," he mewed finally. "You are pregnant."

She could not bring herself to be happy at the news, but rose to her paws. "Thank you."

Featherwhisker cautiously flicked an ear at her, but before he could speak, she padded out of the den without a backwards glance, tail dragging along the dirt.

When she next looked up, she realized that Sunstar was starting to climb the Highrock, so she settled down outside where she could see everything but still remain in the shade out of sight and on the ground where she could feel stable. Her face became hard and impassive, and she felt like it was carved from stone, as grave as if she was hearing her mother's death for the first time except now she actually remembered her mother as someone worth mourning about.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here under the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Cats hurried out of their dens in an eager rush. The younger apprentices blinked up at Sunstar hopefully with wide eyes, while Frostpaw, Brindlepaw, and Whitepaw stared with knowing looks as if they already knew it wasn't going to be a meeting for what the younger apprentice hoped for. Tigerclaw stared silently, wondering if they had those expressions on their faces every other time they had gone to a Clan meeting and she was just now noticing it. Noticing a lot of things, in fact, like the apprehension on Bluefur's face and the hope on Thistleclaw's and the resigned look on Thrushpelt's and the sadly amused lip curl of Adderfang's.

She wasn't sure what had brought her here, put her in this mood, so she could see this, but she wasn't sure what to make of it. It was almost as if the Clan had a life outside of her and that bothered her in a way she could not understand. All her kithood had been spent with the Clan doting on her. She was the leader's kit and the last surviving member of her own litter, so it seemed obvious. But ever since she had become an apprentice, the Clan seemed to have quietly agreed to get on with their lives. She felt like a stranger to them now, and that made her claws scrape the ground as if she hoped she could defend herself from her own emotions.

"Tomorrow night," declared Sunstar, oblivious, "Tawnyspots, Featherwhisker, Thistleclaw, Bluefur, Dappletail, White-eye, Goldenflower, Tigerclaw, Rosetail, Redpaw, Spottedpaw, and Willowpaw will be going to the Gathering. Tawnyspots will inform you of the patrols scheduled for tomorrow.

"I want to make clear some rumors you've probably heard about Sunningrocks. We have been unable to identify the cat scent on the border. As far as we can tell, it is not RiverClan or ShadowClan. It doesn't smell of someone masking their scent, either. We will not mention this at the Gathering unless RiverClan does first. That is all."

Tigerclaw had watched her Clanmates' faces. Watched the younger apprentices be simultaneously disappointed and pleased, watched the older apprentice fight their own disappointment or give in to resentment. Frostpaw's whiskers were twisted up like she was scrunching up her face to pinch her nose and stop tears from falling. Brindlepaw congratulated the younger apprentices softly but her tail dragged when she walked away. Whitepaw kept his tail up, as if he defying gravity, and mewed animatedly to the apprentices about things Tigerclaw couldn't hear before walking away. When he went back into the apprentice den, she noticed his tail brush the ground briefly before he forced it up again.

A flash of orange and black dragged her eyes to Spottedpaw, who raced up to Thistleclaw and mewed eagerly, her ears perked forward as if expecting to hear a certain set of words. Thistleclaw's eyes-

Tigerclaw felt the rage, so potent and palpable that she felt like she was caught up in a fight with an enemy warrior, an enemy warrior with orange and black patched fur and innocent hopeful eyes. Spottedpaw had no idea.

Adderfang was beside her, and she had to fight the urge to jump. He did not look happy.

"It's not right," he mewed, and she realized he was watching Spottedpaw and Thistleclaw as well. "A warrior shouldn't be that interested in an apprentice."

"Yes," she mewed, swallowing a lump in her throat and feeling herself relax in relief. "We have to do something about it."

Adderfang's sharp gaze turned to her. "What can we do about it?" he asked innocently.

Her mouth went dry. She had hoped he had an answer for her, one she could actually bear to think about. "I don't know."

He stared at her silently, and she knew without a doubt that he was thinking the same thing she was. Dread filled her.

"We _can't_."

His eyes were hard. "If we must, then we should. That is what it means to be a warrior."

He padded away without a backwards glance, and Tigerclaw could feel her heart sinking into her paws. Her gaze drifted toward Thistleclaw and Spottedpaw and her blood ran cold as she saw their tails disappear out the camp entrance. She rose shakily to her paws, her thoughts turning to only one other cat in the Clan who might be able to come up with some other idea about what to do about it.

She padded into the warrior's den. "Do you know where Bluefur is?" she mewed to Thrushpelt.

"No, why should I?"

_Because everyone thinks you're her mate_, she wanted to mew but her mind had already moved on to the next cat who might know.

Rosetail did not know, despite being Bluefur's friend. Tigerclaw was starting to wonder if she was the only one who paid attention to anything that went on in the Clan, but then realized she couldn't find Bluefur herself. Her thoughts turned back to Spottedpaw, and she remembered a bloody little black kit that she and Thistleclaw had once attacked. Her heart started to beat faster, like she was anticipating an attack from behind. She couldn't wait to talk to Bluefur; she had to go out and watch Spottedpaw and Thistleclaw herself.

She couldn't find Adderfang after that and guessed he had already done what she was about to do.

She went to the dirtplace, scrambled under the thorn bushes which kept the Clan protected, and hurried up the ravine to find them. In the midday light, the forest felt strange and unnatural. She saw things she had never seen before, never though to look at and find interesting before. Her stomach churned.

_Is this what a real warrior would do?_

She scambled up a tree and rushed across the branch to the next tree, the bark swaying underneath her weight even as she pushed onwards until her whiskers brushed the trunk and she was on stable footing again.

_Is this what it means to be the best of the best?_

She slowed to a stop over the camp entrance and realized she could not bring herself to scramble down to smell their scent.

_I'm protecting my Clanmates._

She tried to image where Thistleclaw would take Spottedpaw for some privacy, then remembered where Thistleclaw had taken her. A few trees later, she stood over the makeshift den which had been theirs for that one night only two days ago. They were outside of it, which brought her a small amount of relief.

The leaves on the bough next to her shook and then Adderfang stood beside her, his yellow eyes staring unflinchingly down below. She knew he was watching the adder's den again, waiting for a green head to appear so he could strike. Tigerclaw wordlessly turned her head back to watch Thistleclaw.

_Did he not notice, or has he mistaken us for squirrels?_

She couldn't hear what was being said, only the tone. She recognized the tone but had never heard it out of Thistleclaw's mouth before. She hated it, and she hated that she had used that tone on him. It made her feel like ants crawled under her skin. When she glanced back at Adderfang, she couldn't make anything of his hard, emotionless face. Couldn't make anything of the way her mind threatened to freeze over.

Spottedpaw mewed something apologetically and Thistleclaw nodded at something, and soon the apprentice was leading Thistleclaw back to camp. Tigerclaw could see the way Thistleclaw's tail dragged in disappointment and how his eyes stared at the ground as he walked instead of proudly looking forward as if searching for enemies. Soon, only Adderfang and Tigerclaw were left. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to feel any better.

Adderfang scrambled down the bark and sniffed the den. She didn't want to join him. Her claws dug into the bark as if she was in the river and facing off against the current, but she forced herself to scramble down after him and forced herself to step up to the den and sniff it. She recognized Thistleclaw's excited scent and her own, but they were both stale. She stepped back, feeling like she could breath easier.

"Well," mewed Adderfang, "nothing to worry about this time around."

Tigerclaw tasted disappointment. "You think this will happen again?"

Adderfang gave her hard, disappointed look. "You know it could. It could be much worse than it was today."

She remembered the black kit. Her belly churned.

"Let's go back to camp," she mewed.

"Let's catch prey first."

Realizing that it would look suspicious if they returned without prey, Tigerclaw silently agreed. No doubt Thistleclaw would think the same thing, if he wasn't too distracted about his feelings for Spottedpaw.

_What am I going to do about this?_

The question left her feeling sick, and she decided to sleep in the medicine cat den that night, just to be safe.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter decided to write itself and address some of the problems that were never brought up after people read Spottedleaf's Heart, as far as I know anyway. That is - why did no one notice that Thistleclaw had an unhealthy interest in Spottedpaw? _Someone_ had to. I'd like to think Adderfang was that someone.**

**This story is becoming slightly longer. I was expecting to have to write six chapters for it but it seems like I'm going to end up writing more than eight. We shall see how this goes.**


	4. Young Warrior 2

**A/N: As mentioned last chapter, the sensitive topic touched on with Spottedleaf's Heart is discussed here. Viewer discretion is advised.**

* * *

Tigerclaw didn't know what to think or what she was supposed to think. Adderfang wished her good luck on the Gathering, her first since she had been made a warrior, and she tried pushing the thought of Thistleclaw and Spottedpaw together out of her mind so she could enjoy her success. But whenever she spotted a shadow, an image of the tiny kit flashed through her mind, and then she was thinking about the two of them in the den she had shared with Thistleclaw that one night.

Was she jealous of Spottedpaw? Maybe a little. Okay, yes, she was a few days ago. But she really _shouldn't_ care about whether or not Spottedpaw and Thistleclaw got together. Toms could take many mates, and nobody else had found that odd so neither did she. She could have Thistelclaw and Spottedpaw could have Thistleclaw, too. And Tigerclaw could have Thistleclaw and also Adderfang, if she wanted it and Adderfang wanted it, too. In fact, her kits could end up belonging to both of them if she had timed it all right. Warriors only mated so that the Clan could have more kits, or because they wanted kits, not because of some unspoken loyalty to a cat when said loyalty should lie with the Clan as a whole instead.

Yes, that wasn't the main issue.

Did Spottedpaw even know? Was she even old enough to understand what was going on? Tigerclaw knew she had been old enough to understand when she was first made an apprentice, but Spottedpaw seemed to be innocently unaware of what was happening between her and Thistleclaw. Did she even love him? There was something not right about the whole thing.

So, Tigerclaw had a problem with it. She had the same problem Adderfang had about it, and they both had already come to the same conclusion about how to solve it.

And she really didn't like to keep thinking about _that_.

When they reached Fourtrees, her eyes scanned the crowd of cats for Thistleclaw and Spottedpaw, and was relieved to see that they weren't anywhere near each other. Thistleclaw instead sat beside a black-and-silver tabby RiverClan cat she didn't recognize. She quickly padded over to her former mentor before he could get up and sit beside Spottedpaw.

"-thanks to me," the RiverClan tom mewed with pride. "They'll both be grateful. I think Graykit is going to grow up to be a beautiful she-cat."

All of a sudden, Tigerclaw wished Thistleclaw had picked someone else to sit beside. Would the warrior code really mind if she accidentally threw the RiverClan cat off the gorge? Surely _he_ was an acceptable exception to the rules!

"Hello," she mewed firmly, interrupting the tom before he could go into detail about why he thought a kit would become a beautiful she-cat _before_ she was even fully grown. "I'm Tigerclaw, mother of Thistleclaw's future kits."

The tom blinked. "I'm Rippleclaw."

Tigerclaw realized she didn't care. "Do you mind if I borrow him for a while?"

"No, I don't," he mewed, giving Thistleclaw a surprised look.

Thistleclaw looked just as surprised but dipped his head politely and padded after Tigerclaw, much to her relief. Then she realized she had no idea what to say to him.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Her mouth opened, and before she realized it, she was talking about _something_. "I wanted to ask if we could mate again. I don't think our last attempt took."

She felt instant relief even as she watched Thistleclaw silently for a response. Sure, Featherwhisker had confirmed she was pregnant, but it was a good an excuse as any to keep Thistleclaw away from Spottedpaw. Away from Rippleclaw, too. She would have to speak to Adderfang about _him_.

"I see," Thistleclaw finally said. "We can try again tomorrow night."

"Do you want to meet in the usual place?" she mewed, wondering how Spottedpaw would react if she learned to smell both Tigerclaw and Thistleclaw together in the den and understood what all the extra excited smells meant, too. She realized she needed to have a talk with Spottedpaw's mentor – and also realized that Adderfang probably already did. They really needed to sit down and talk about this.

"Actually," mewed Thistleclaw, but his eyes flickered. "No, you're right. It would be best if we met there."

Tigerclaw had an inkling that she knew what Thistleclaw had been about to say but for some reason couldn't put it into words. She felt otherwise relieved. "Good," she mewed, feeling awkward. She scrambled to come up with something else to talk about. "What do you think of this weird scent on RiverClan territory?"

"Rogues, most likely," Thistleclaw mewed at once, his gaze drifting to scan the cats behind her. She wondered if Spottedpaw was behind her but saw the familiar black-and-orange pelt out of the corner of her eye, sitting next to a solid grey she-cat with a silver sheen in her fur that made her look blue. Bluefur? Thistleclaw's gaze drifted up to the Highrock, away from where Spottedpaw sat. "I smelled them myself. No extra herbal scent, just cat smell. It's probably some loner who thinks they can get away with crossing over our borders without us noticing." His claws dug into the ground.

This was the Thistleclaw she had wanted have kits with. The kindred spirit. She wondered if there was a part of her that could look at a young tom and think to herself that she could turn him into a loyal and permanent mate. She wished she had turned Thistleclaw into a loyal and permanent mate, instead of let him continue being this _thing. _

"No rogue will ever hunt on our territory again," mewed Tigerclaw firmly. "They won't walk across our border again either, with you around."

Thistleclaw nodded, as if she hadn't spoke to him in the same tone he had spoken to Spottedpaw. Despite feeling like it should, her fur refused to rise with the discomfort and dread which had gripped her belly. She felt disconnected from her body as her eyes calmly drifted to stare at the Clan leaders, despite the horror which seemed to well up in her mind.

"Do you think," she mewed calmly, normally, "that RiverClan is going to talk about it?"

"They probably won't talk about it unless we talk about it first," growled Thistleclaw. "All this passive aggressiveness… it isn't going to go anywhere. How can we know for certain that RiverClan hasn't figured out some other way to mask their scent besides herbs?"

"_ShadowClan_," mewed Tigerclaw, "is more likely to come up with a strategy like that."

"If we all thought that, then RiverClan could get away with blaming ShadowClan."

"If they are to blame for this."

"Yes..."

Tigerclaw could almost forget the horrible truth. Everything seemed to be back to normal, as normal as she thought it should be, anyway. If not for the horror which had crept into her mind, she could have forgot. She wished she had forgotten.

She stared helplessly as Hailstar yowled across the clearing all the interesting news that had happened to RiverClan over the last moon. No mention of the rogues. No accusation about cats trespassing on their territory. Nothing really noteworthy. When Sunstar spoke, it was the same thing. The other Clans had nothing interesting to say, either.

"How can we be warriors," muttered Thistleclaw, "when we have nothing to fight over?"

Tigerclaw might have agreed, did feel herself hum in agreement, if she wasn't thinking about Spottedpaw. Was a warrior supposed to _not_ fight over something like that? It seemed a little more important than what was happening on the border.

They were padding back to camp together, with Tigerclaw struggling to come up with good conversations to distract him. She barely noticed when they fell into silence until she felt his whiskers tickle her ear.

"Are you all right?" he murmured softly, looking troubled. "I've never seen you think so hard about something. Unless you were hunting."

_Am I hunting?_ She wondered to herself, her mouth moving almost without her input. "It's just… I can't help but think about us and our kits. I'm a little worried that I… might not be able to have any." Distantly, she realized it was plausible that that could be what she was thinking about, at least from his point of view.

Thistleclaw was silent for a long time. Too long, in Tigerclaw's opinion. "If you want, I can stay as your mate until you're satisfied that you are pregnant. I know how much this means to you."

A wave of relief washed over Tigerclaw. "Thank you," she mewed honestly. Now, she could tell Adderfang he had nothing more to worry about. At least, until Tigerclaw was one moon into her pregnancy. Then it would be too obvious for her to keep pretending.

_And after that?_

Tigerclaw didn't like how her thoughts had returned to the original conclusion.

* * *

"There isn't anything we can do about Rippleclaw," mewed Adderfang quietly, looking unnaturally serious. "He's not our problem."

Tigerclaw had only just returned from sleeping with Thistleclaw in their normal den. She had been disappointed to find that Thistleclaw had already left for the dawn patrol and wished her had stayed in the den long enough to at least wake her up, but when she spotted Spottedpaw, she was relieved. When she found Adderfang, she surprised to find that the senior warrior had already spoken with Tawnyspots about their concerns and now it was more likely that Thistleclaw and Spottedpaw wouldn't be found in camp together. Tigerclaw wished she had thought of that.

Then she had explained about Rippleclaw.

"He _might_ be," Tigerclaw pressed. "What if he goes after one of our apprentices?"

"He's already going after a RiverClan she-kit. I doubt he would start obsessing over anyone else until she grows up." Adderfang's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "Do you really think Thistleclaw is obsessing over any other cat but Spottedpaw right now?"

Tigerclaw had to admit she did not.

"When she does grow up and he does start looking for apprentices outside of his Clan," mewed Adderfang, "we'll worry about it then. Until then, let RiverClan spend energy on it."

Tigerclaw wasn't ready to drop it. "Should we tell them?"

"Maybe," Adderfang mused.

The silent didn't feel good. She wondered if she could add anything, or do anything, to make herself feel better. Her thoughts turned to Thistleclaw again and the den they would be sharing the next night.

"I don't know what I ever saw in Thistleclaw," she mewed finally.

"Whatever you saw is still there," Adderfang mewed, his whiskers curling in amusement. "You already know that."

Tigerclaw felt despair. "Am I going to become like him?"

"We are all just cats, Tigerclaw. We all have a darkness in us, just as we have a light."

"He shouldn't be this dark."

"Even the best of warriors can be blind to their own darkness."

Tigerclaw couldn't believe that. "I won't ever be like him."

Adderfang stared at her sadly and looked away. "We should focus on Thistleclaw as he is now."

"We have a month," Tigerclaw mewed, feeling relieved. "If she… grows up… he might lose interest in her."

"Are you hoping he's going to be interested in you again?"

"He was never interested in me." Her throat threatened to close up at the words. She refused to look Adderfang in the eye. "I know that. I just hope he won't be interested in going so far with her until she's emotionally ready for him to move on to the next juicy prey."

"You are not a juicy piece of prey," mewed Adderfang firmly.

"I know that," mewed Tigerclaw, equally firmly. "But she is."

They fell silent, and Adderfang looked at her with surprise and understanding. He dipped his head and looked back at Spottedpaw.

"Have you spoken to her mentor?" mewed Tigerclaw.

"I was going to do that next," mewed Adderfang, "if Tawnyspots doesn't get to Thrushpelt first. They're littermates. I'm hoping he'll know how to break it to him subtly."

Tigerclaw nodded absently as she thought the whole situation over. She didn't know what else she could do, at this point.

"I should move my nest closer to him," she decided. "If he sneaks out, I'll be the first to know about it."

Adderfang nodded. His nest was already beside Thistleclaw, so he wouldn't have to move it. "As long he has you as a distraction, he might not notice how the Clan is conspiring against him." His whiskers curled and his eyes twinkled.

_I should have picked you to be the father of my kits,_ she thought silently, dismayed. She realized belatedly that Adderfang was starting to look his age. She rose to her paws, tail brushing the ground.

"I should probably volunteer for a patrol," she mewed, stretching. "Have a good day, Adderfang."

Adderfang nodded absently, and Tigerclaw was relieved he didn't say anything more. She finally felt like she could put all of this behind her and start working towards her goal of becoming the best warrior in the Clan again.

_I'll be better than Thistleclaw_, she thought. _I won't be blind to my darkness._

"Tigerclaw!" mewed a familiar voice, and Tigerclaw wiped her expression clean before she looked at Whitepaw's expectant and worried gaze. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," she mewed, remembering that Whitepaw was Thistleclaw's son and that she would be giving Thistleclaw more kits before the end of the season. She wondered how she was going to break the news to him. "What is this about?"

Whitepaw looked suddenly nervous. "I know you like Thistleclaw," he mewed finally. "I mean, really like Thistleclaw. Like, like."

"Uh huh," mewed Tigerclaw, remembering that Whitepaw was still thinking like a kit.

"So, uhm, I was wondering if you and Thistleclaw had become mates?"

Her expression seemed to trigger something in Whitepaw and he hurriedly explained.

"Frostpaw told me that you were really interested in him," Whitepaw mewed, "but she also said that he didn't seem all that interested in you." Realizing he should not have said that yet, he rushed to explain some more. "I mean, I don't mean to say that he won't become interested in you – that is, he probably will once he realizes you like him – but Frostpaw said–"

"Frostpaw says a lot of things she doesn't entirely understand," Tigerclaw mewed, narrowing her eyes. "And Thistleclaw and I _are_ mates, Whitepaw."

Whitepaw looked like she had hit him with a whole tree. "Oh."

Tigerclaw wondered briefly if what she had said was really true. "Anyway," she mewed, "tell Frostpaw that she should focus on her training so she can become a warrior already and have all those kits she keeps promising to the Clan."

Whitepaw's face twisted up. "What?"

Tigerclaw rolled her eyes. "Right, I forgot, you're one of _those _cats." Her thoughts turned to Thistleclaw, and she felt a flash of anger at life. "Listen, Whitepaw, don't forget that you have to put your loyalty to your Clan over your kittish desires. If you have a preference for a mate, fine, but make sure she's _emotionally_ ready to handle it before you go asking for kits. Make sense?" She wished someone had told her this when she was an apprentice, StarClan even when she was a kit, so she wouldn't make the same mistake she had made with Thistleclaw.

Whitepaw stared at her in confusion even as he nodded his head. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

She could see he wanted to ask why she brought that up but decided not to answer. He shouldn't know the truth about his father. His father who was already far too interested in his upbringing for her comfort.

_Was that a sign of how bad he really was all along?_

_If that was a sign, StarClan needed to learn how to make it more blatantly obvious._

She shoved the thought aside, angry at herself for bringing it back up. She had done all she could so now she should focus on _more important _things to worry about. Like becoming an even better warrior than Thistleclaw and keeping him distracted with their nightly outings.

But her thoughts turned to Spottedpaw and she realized the cat who would benefit the most from her wise words. "Excuse me." She padded towards the apprentice's den and sniffed the air for the black-and-orange she-cat. "Spottedpaw?"

A cat shuffled in her nest and rose. "Yes, Tigerclaw?"

"We need to talk."

She sounded a lot more angry than she had expected, but she couldn't undo the words. She padded out of the den and, a heartbeat later, Spottedpaw padded after her nervously. She took Spottedpaw to the prisoner's den, where the tightly woven walls could keep them from being overheard. Tigerclaw settled into the nest, the same one that Thistleclaw had been in when they had their talk. Thistleclaw's scent was stale, and she smelled Robinwing's scent masking it.

"What's wrong, Tigerclaw?" mewed Spottedpaw.

Tigerclaw sucked in a breath. "We need to talk about your meetings with Thistleclaw."

Spottedpaw's eyes went wide. "What about them?"

_You need to stop going to them_, Tigerclaw thought, but wondered how she was going to say this out loud without offending her. "You see, I'm supposed to be his mate right now. The whole Clan expects us to act in a certain way together. It's unbecoming of us to show interest in anyone else until I have my kits. Do you understand?"

Spottedpaw blinked. "What?"

Tigerclaw sighed. "I'm going to have Thistleclaw's kits in a few moons," she mewed firmly. "The Clan is expecting us to be mates until they're born."

"W-what does this have to do with me?" Spottedpaw mewed.

"The Clan is starting to think you and Thistleclaw are acting like mates," mewed Tigerclaw. "It's unbecoming. You're not old enough, and he already has me right now. Do you understand?"

The tortoiseshell seemed to be struggling with everything Tigerclaw had said. "Yes."

Tigerclaw felt some relief. "I just thought I'd let you know. Thistleclaw's going to be on more patrols now and sleeping with me at night for the sake of appearances until the kits arrive."

She blinked slowly. "Okay." She looked away at her paws and seemed to struggle with something to say. "Are you saying… you're _okay_ with me being Thistleclaw's mate in the future?"

"Yes," mewed Tigerclaw, realizing she was touching on dangerous ground. "But the whole Clan would prefer it if you had been a warrior for at least two moons. He's approached you far too early. You should be focused on your apprentice duties and not some warrior with nice-sounding words to say."

Spottedpaw nodded. "I understand," she mewed honestly. "I'll focus on my apprentice duties more."

Tigerclaw felt even more relief. "Thank you, Spottedpaw. I promise he's yours when I'm done with him."

The tortoiseshell nodded again, hesitated, before dipping her head. "Thank you, Tigerclaw." She padded out of the den.

_There_, Tigerclaw thought. _I've done everything I can._

* * *

"Any news?" mewed Tigerclaw.

It had been over a moon since the whole plot had begun. Despite it being so long, Tigerclaw still wasn't showing she was carrying. Featherwhisker had assured her that most cats never showed how pregnant they really were. It hadn't been affecting her performance either, which pleased Tigerclaw. She wanted to be a warrior again as soon as possible after her kits were born.

Adderfang blinked at her. "They haven't gotten back together since you spoke with Spottedpaw."

Relief flooded through Tigerclaw. "Thistleclaw hasn't spoken about it, either."

Adderfang hummed. "Well, I would take that as good news."

Tigerclaw suspected Thistleclaw wouldn't actually go too far since he was the greatest warrior in the Clan. For a heartbeat, Tigerclaw felt foolish. "Did we really have anything to worry about?"

The dark brown tabby turned to stare at her. "Thistleclaw still has an unhealthy interest in Spottedpaw, Tigerclaw. Of course there is reason to worry. We should be glad it didn't get any worse than it did."

Frustration sparked in her pelt, and she lashed her tail slowly. "Maybe we should take Spottedpaw with us on patrol so she has a chance to talk with us if she needs to."

Adderfang nodded thoughtfully. "I'll let Tawnyspots know."

Tigerclaw paused, remembering a conversation that felt so long ago. "When is Tawnyspots going to retire?"

Adderfang shrugged.

Realizing there was nothing else to say, Tigerclaw dipped her head and padded away, tail low in disappointment. When she padded to her nest, she carried a dead squirrel with her and settled down to wait. She felt weird, like she had completely lost track of what she was supposed to be doing because of what she had been doing for Spottedpaw.

_Is this what great warriors do?_

After everything she'd learned as an apprentice, Tigerclaw leaned heavily towards No, but something kept her from actually thinking that it was a complete waste of time. An image of the black kit flashed through her mind.

_Am I going to be haunted because I did the right thing?_

With a soft growl, she shoved the image aside and the painful emotion that went with it, chewing a little too hard on the squirrel's bones until she heard them crack into splinters that prickled her gums. She dropped the prey in disgust, staring at the pulpy bloody mess. She still tasted the blood.

When the sun settled near the horizon, Adderfang fetched her for the late midday hunting patrol. Spottedpaw's mentor was on the midday border patrol, so she was left to Adderfang and Tigerclaw to watch over.

Tigerclaw liked having this connection to Tawnyspots. It felt like a faint taste of the power she might one day have. She didn't want to forget that feeling and became concerned that talking to Spottedpaw might cause it to disappear. She wondered if she should stop before she was even more involved with the drama of her Clanmates.

They padded into the forest together, with Spottedpaw trailing behind the two older warriors.

"Tigerclaw?" mewed Spottedpaw softly.

Tigerclaw spotted Adderfang's ear flick back but he kept moving forward as if he hadn't heard. She stopped and turned back, giving the apprentice her full attention.

"Yes, Spottedpaw?"

The black-and-orange apprentice glanced down at her paws, looking a little disturbed. "I was wondering… if you, uhm, if it was all right- If I didn't become Thistleclaw's mate."

Tigerclaw stared at her speechlessly, her mind grounding to a halt.

"I mean, I don't think I really understand all this mate stuff like you do."

_Why are you telling me this? _Tigerclaw stayed silent, hoping that Spottedpaw would say something that would make sense.

Spottedpaw blinked, looking pained. "I don't think I can really let go of Thistleclaw if I became his mate."

Tigerclaw stared. "You think you would choose your loyalty to Thistleclaw over your Clan?"

"Yes," she mewed, her tail flicking. "I don't think it's right to lack loyalty to your mate, and I don't think you or Thistleclaw understand that."

The warrior knew she was right. They wouldn't. Except she remembered the pained look on Thistleclaw's face when he thought of Snowfur's death, of how he believed Bluefur was responsible, and the spark of jealousy she had felt when she had seen Spottedpaw and Thistleclaw together for the first time. She had gotten over her feelings, but maybe Thistleclaw hadn't gotten over his. Tigerclaw respected that.

Spottedpaw didn't.

Suddenly, Tigerclaw didn't like Spottedpaw.

Spottedpaw was watching her hopefully.

"Tell Thistleclaw," Tigerclaw mewed. "Tell him before you decide for sure that you don't want to be his mate. He should hear it from you first."

She flattened her ears. "Okay."

Tigerclaw nodded in finality and started to turn away. After a few pawsteps, she heard Spottedpaw padded after her. Tigerclaw was suddenly aware of how quiet Spottedpaw was compared to Tigerclaw, how small her paws must be compared to Tigerclaw's larger build.

_She's not fit to be a warrior like me_, she thought. _She will never understand, and she will never be strong._

As night started to fall, Tigerclaw was almost reluctant to return to the camp with only two squirrels, lacking a fresh rabbit. She felt heavier than she had a month ago, and her hindlegs didn't fold up under her as easily, making it harder for her to run as fast as before. Fighting a wave of frustration, she padded toward the shadow of Highrock, her amber eyes easily picking out the pale spotted shape of Tawnyspots. Spottedpaw was already speaking with the deputy.

"Are you sure about this, Spottedpaw?" the deputy asked warily.

"I'm sure." Spottedpaw glanced at Tigerclaw in surprise, but Tigerclaw ignored her.

"Tawnyspots," Tigerclaw mewed, "I'm planning to join the queens in the nursery tomorrow."

The deputy jerked up. "That's great! Have you told Thistleclaw?"

Tigerclaw's whiskers twitched. "Spottedpaw needs to tell him something first." She looked meaningfully at Spottedpaw.

"Oh?" Tawnyspots glanced between them.

Spottedpaw shuffled on her paws. "It's my decision," she mewed firmly. "I don't need Thistleclaw's permission."

Tigerclaw shook her head disdainfully. "Just make sure to announce it tomorrow morning," she told Tawnyspots. "I'm sleeping in the warrior's den tonight." Then, without a glance at Spottedpaw, Tigerclaw padded towards the warrior's den and disappeared for the night.

Tigerclaw woke to the sound of Sunstar calling a meeting. She emerged into the early dawn light and blinked at her Clanmates, all gathered and staring up at their leader. She followed their gazes and blinked in surprise to see Goosefeather, Spottedpaw, and Featherwhisker gathered on the smaller rocks around Highrock. The yellow tabby leader continued.

"Today, we have a few surprise announcements," he mewed warmly. "Goosefeather has decided to retire to the elder's den. He has served our Clan for a long time and saved many of our lives. He will continue to teach our medicine cats vital skills and share his wisdom with us until he joins with StarClan."

A murmur rippled through the Clan as cats shared their sentiments. Goosefeather wasn't very popular, so Tigerclaw wasn't surprised to hear how quiet they were. The gristled old grey-and-silver tom blinked blankly at his Clanmates and descended the stones. Tigerclaw lost sight of his silver pelt as he padded towards the elder's den without another word. The silence that fell over the Clan disturbed Tigerclaw, her fur prickling on end uncomfortably.

"I would also like to announce," mewed Sunstar, "that StarClan has decided that one of our apprentices has another path to follow." He gestured to the black-and-orange apprentice. "Spottedpaw, would you like to tell the Clan what you told Tawnyspots and me?"

"StarClan," Spottedpaw mewed, her voice wobbling, "has sent me a sign that I believe means my path is meant to lead me to become a medicine cat, and not a warrior."

As murmurs started up, a shocked mew filled the air. Tigerclaw internally winced and looked towards where Thistleclaw was standing.

"Spottedpaw," he mewed, sounding hurt. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

The black-and-orange apprentice looked down and shuffled on her paws.

"You?" Thrushpelt was suddenly in front of Thistleclaw, his tail straight and rigid. "_I'm_ her mentor. If anyone here has a right to be upset about this surprise, it's _me_."

Thistleclaw made a retort Tigerclaw's could hear as the Clan's murmurs grew louder, filled with anger and confusion.

"Enough!" yowled Sunstar. "StarClan has made the decision for all of us. I know this may come as a surprise to you both, but the matters of StarClan are well out of our paws."

The whole Clan fell silent in surprise. Defiant, Tigerclaw shot a furious look at Spottedpaw, who had the nerve to look confident and stare steadily at Thistleclaw.

"If you love me," she mewed loudly, "you will respect my choice."

Thistleclaw stared silently at Spottedpaw, and Tigerclaw felt even angrier.

_How dare you ask anyone to respect your choice when you couldn't even respect them enough to tell them yourself!_

"I understand your decision," mewed Thrushpelt, his voice soft and hurt. "I respect your decision."

"...I respect your decision as well," growled Thistleclaw, dipping his head. "I am sure you'll be an amazing medicine cat."

_She can be nothing else_, Tigerclaw wanted to yowl. She looked up at the sky and felt betrayed when she didn't see a single cloud. Furious, she lowered her head.

"We have two more announcements," mewed Sunstar. "Tigerclaw will be moving into the nursery today."

Surprised murmurs spread through the Clan. Tigerclaw looked at Thistleclaw, wishing she had told the tom before. But Thistleclaw only had eyes for Spottedpaw, his gaze hurt like when he had spoken about Snowfur. Suddenly, Tigerclaw was glad she hadn't told him; he wouldn't have cared anyway.

_Besides_, _I won't let him anywhere near my kits._

She was shocked at how fierce she felt about it and wondered if this was what Thistleclaw had been thinking when he became obsessed with Whitepaw as a kit.

"...will be moving into the nursery today."

Thrushpelt's head had whipped around, and Tigerclaw's gaze followed to settle on Bluefur. Rosetail looked proud to sit next to her friend, while the blue-gray warrior looked almost embarrassed and guilty at the quiet murmurs of congratulations.

"Hey Tigerclaw," mewed a familiar voice.

Tigerclaw yanked her head away and blinked at Whitepaw.

"Congratulations," he purred warmly. "Whose are they?"

Tigerclaw wanted to tell him the truth but what came out instead was "You'll figure it out."

Whitepaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. "I already have a good guess," he mewed, glancing over at Thistleclaw. He lowered his voice. "Though I thought my Dad would be happier."

Tigerclaw shrugged impassively. "We are not really that close, you know."

"Oh."

She rose to her paws. "I better start gathering for my nest. I'll see you around, Whitepaw."

Whitepaw blinked at her. "Try to get to know Bluefur, okay?"

Tigerclaw stopped and stared back. "Huh?"

But the white tom had already joined Brindlepaw and a jealous-looking Frostpaw. Tigerclaw's gaze turned to look at Bluefur, but she had already vanished. After a few moments of indecision, the warrior padded towards the medicine cat's den where Spottedpaw and Featherwhisker were talking. When she neared, Featherwhisker disappeared into the den and Spottedpaw paused, turning to watch her warily.

"Spottedpaw," Tigerclaw mewed, "why did you really become a medicine cat?"

The apprentice gave a nervous flick of her tail. "Because StarClan told me to," she mewed forcefully.

"I don't believe that for a second," snapped Tigerclaw. "This has something to do with you avoiding telling Thistleclaw, doesn't it?"

Spottedpaw tried to look Tigerclaw in the eye, but the warrior could tell she was staring at the side of her head instead. The small apprentice tried to make her voice sound wise and powerful. "Because StarClan has shown me that I can never be as good a warrior as you, Tigerclaw."

Tigerclaw snorted. "You're afraid your emotions are going to get out of your control."

Spottedpaw flattened her ears, but when she opened her mouth to protest Tigerclaw cut her off.

"Look, Spottedpaw," Tigerclaw growled, "there's being Clanborn and then there's being whatever you are. You can't just run around doing whatever you please without considering how you're treating everyone around you. That's not just a warrior's skill – it's a medicine cat's skill, too. You should have respected Thistleclaw enough as a _cat_ to tell him about what you planned to do before today. Hiding this from him only makes you a coward, and a coward doesn't make for a very good Clan cat."

The hurt look on Spottedpaw's face sent a tiny ripple of pleasure up Tigerclaw's spine.

_She deserves this_, Tigerclaw thought with satisfaction.

The warrior whipped away and padded towards the nursery. She didn't even hesitate at the entrance and just shoved straight inside.

Bluefur blinked at her, her gaze foggy but sharpening rapidly. "Something wrong?"

"No," mewed Tigerclaw, feeling her pelt relax and the lightning in her fur settle. She jerked at the back of the den with her tail. "I'm making my nest over there."

Bluefur nodded and continued carving out a place for her nest where she stood. With their nests now firmly on opposite sides of the nursery, Tigerclaw felt like the moon to follow would at least be tolerable. After that, she would return to her real mission and become the greatest warrior in the Clan.


End file.
